Power Rangers Jurassic Knight: Fates Intertwined
by Super Shadowhenshin
Summary: Two lives, one destiny. Power Rangers across the multiverse are disappearing. Three teens who share the Ranger legacy are brought together to defeat the mysterious Praetor and his pupil Lucius. Jace Oliver and Lucius, two warriors tied by fate but separated by tragedy will fight for the future of the Power Ranger's multiverse.
1. Chapter 1

**This story takes place in the same universe as my Personality Shift series and while being a continuation of that continuity you don't have to start there to understand what's happening here. Although it will clue you into some plot points that'll be relevant later ;) **

The Devil's Playground, a world where the Power Rangers lost the battle against the Evil Space Aliens. But it was a place of hope, a place that saw the arrival of a man who would not only destroy Lord Zedd but also his apprentice Lord Drakkon.

But is it a world better off in the end?

Kimberly Hart ran through the empty street. New Angel Grove, that's what they called the city before it fell.

Behind her, charged soldiers coated head to toe in medieval armor. Despite their humanoid appearance, Kimberly knew they were machines.

They were the pawns of the Praetor, the one responsible for destroying everything Kimberly and the rest of them had struggled to create.

But they weren't what she was running from.

He watched from above the rubble of a destroyed building, and he was smiling.

The figure jumped down, engrossed in purple light before landing perfectly on his feet.

His armor was similar to a Power Ranger, the warriors of light that defended all life.

But he was far from that himself.

He raised his purple arm and pointed his sword towards her throat. "The chase is over. Surrender yourself to my master before I have to resort to force."

Kimberly grimaced and drew her Power Morpher.

"Try me."

* * *

The ship violently rocked back and forth, throwing everything around the young man into complete disarray.

But he merely ground his teeth and kept his grip on the controls.

Trox wasn't born for this, he knew this even as he wiped his blue, sweaty, hair out of his eyes. He was the son of a farmer, born on the planet Sentai 6. But fate had played its mysterious hand, and he was being chased through space with three of the most important objects in the entire universe.

Energems.

The ship behind him was close on his tail. It was a strange almost insectile ship, covered in black plates of metal that shifted as the machine dashed through space as if it were alive.

As if it were hungry…

Trox was suddenly thrown from his seat as the ship was halted by two metal claws that penetrated the ship's side.

He knew this was it. Trox stood up and clutched the bag tightly. He knew he was going to die.

The sound of footsteps.

"Do you know what I hate about you heroic types?" The voice taunted from the other side of the wall. "You never make things easy."

The metal door slid open, revealing a man dressed in black leather armor with bits of gold plating across his legs and up to his right arm.

"So why not a change of heart?" He asked with a sideways smile. "Just give up the Energems and we can call it a night."

Trox was frozen with fear, it rooted itself into his very core. Weighting him to the ground.

But before the man could continue the ship was thrown into another rocking fit.

And by the look on the intruder's face, this wasn't a part of his plan.

A noise from above collected their attention as a small hole was punched in the ceiling and another figure arrived.

Their cloak flew behind them as they landed, it fluttered a few moments as they drew a pistol and pointed it toward the first intruder.

"Good old Scorpio, son to the infamous Scorpina," The voice said, cluing Trox in that they were female.

"Leave my mom out of this," He spat, "The only thing that old bag gave me was this-" The man blinked his eyes as they suddenly flashed yellow. His muscles then began to bulge and the veins in his face shifted to a purple hue.

But his transformation was halted when the figure opened fire. The blast hit him in the chest and knocked his body backward.

"The blaster was set to stun," She said and grabbed hold of Trox. "Until I saw him do _that_." She then pointed a small grappling hook up towards the hole she had made and they were both jolted upwards.

Trox was still too stunned to respond, but at the very least this intruder hadn't tried to kill him yet.

Trox then found himself in the loading area of what he could only assume was a Megaship by the interior. When the hatch they had entered closed the ship instantly knew to take off.

The girl turned to him and threw her hood back, revealing a beautiful round face and blonde hair.

"Astrid," She said and held out her hand.

"Trox…" He said and took her hand. "Why did you just save me?"

"Those Energems can't get into the Praetor's hands," She explained. "At least that's what he said to me."

"Who?"

"We don't have time for explanations," She said, "We have to get to Earth before any more of those freaks can come after us."

A tense silence fell as Trox was thrust towards the unknown.

* * *

Kira Ford knew it was going to be a bad the moment she found the paper taped to her fridge.

After all, only one other person had a key to her house.

She pulled the paper off and unfolded it, finding the same messy scratch she'd struggled to read on her essays a decade and a half ago.

She frowned. Hard. Then she sighed and threw on her shoes.

What the hell was she going to tell Hayley?

At the Oliver residence in Angel Grove, Hayley Oliver frowned as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Did he tell you to lie?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kira lowered her gaze, feeling like she was a teenager again. "Yeah. But I knew it would be stupid."

"Stupid?" Hayley asked with venom in her throat. "You wanna hear stupid? He told me he was done. He _told _me!" She shook her head. "But what should I have expected?"

"What are you going to do?" Kira asked. She then flinched as the sour look escaped Hayley's face.

"I'm going to wait, and probably worry every night until he comes back."

It was then that a young girl stepped into the room. She was still clad in her Green Ranger PJs with her long dark hair a mess.

But she rushed towards Kira with a giant smile on her face.

"'Sup gorgeous," Kira said to Chelsey Oliver, Hayley and Tommy's second child. "Staying out of trouble?"

"Depends on who you ask," She said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

And for a brief moment, Kira missed being so young.

But then Chelsey noticed the stressed look on her mother's face.

"Wait… what's up?" She asked.

"Well…" Hayley said, struggling to find the right words. "Your dad is on… a small business trip."

"When is he coming back?" She asked with a panicked look on her face. "And why didn't he tell me?"

"It was really impromptu," Kira said, "He might be gone for a while."

"This isn't some weird way of saying you guys are getting a divorce is it?" She asked.

"No, no, no," Hayley said. "We're fine."

_Although I'm definitely going to have a few harsh words when he gets back. _Her face said to Kira.

"Well someone should tell Jace," Kira said, looking down at the door that led to the basement.

"If he even cares," Chelsey muttered. But her attitude was quickly shot down by a hard glare from her mother.

Kira shook her head and stood up, "Let's go see if I can awaken the beast below…"

But to both her shock and unsuprise the young boy was nowhere to be found.

* * *

_It's the same dream every night. The shadowy world wrapped in a red sky. The figure shrouded in mystery, his face hidden under a red visor._

_Jace Oliver watched helplessly as the figure stood over him, arms wide and triumphant as he proclaimed._

"_Reality is shattered, and everything will be mine."_

He awoke with a shake, shooting up as the sweat crawled down his face.

Then the pounding headache continued.

"Ugh," he grunted and fell back, feeling the hard pulse behind his eyes.

"When you asked me if I wanted to hang out last night this wasn't what I expected," Rylan DeSantos muttered as he picked up an empty bottle and threw it in the trash. "You're just lucky my dad is still out of town. He'd lose it if he saw you like this."

"Only because your dad is friends with mine," Jace muttered.

"Is that really how you see things?"

Before Jace could offer a sarcastic response the two boys were both silenced by the violent shaking that tore through Rylan's house.

"That sounded close…" Jace said still nursing his head pain.

"Yeah," Rylan said before turning back towards Jace. "So?"

The young boy fought the pain and forced himself up. "So I'm gonna check it out."

"Y-you're not serious are you?" Rylan asked with wide eyes.

But by then Jace was already throwing his shoes on.

"I swear to God you're going to be the death of me," Rylan said, knowing that he didn't have to follow Jace but still did so anyway.

It turned out what they were looking for wasn't that far. In fact, it was several houses down.

"That's not good," Rylan muttered.

But Jace couldn't help but smile.

"What are you doing?" Rylan asked as Jace took a step forward.

"What do you mean? I'm checking this out!" Jace stepped closer to the empty lot, his feet meeting grass as he approached the object that had descended from the sky.

The blue colored spaceship.

"Shouldn't we call someone?" Rylan asked.

"Who? NASADA?" Jace asked. He was a few feet away from the ship by then. His hand outstretched towards it.

Then the ramp opened with a loud hiss.

"Stop!" The girl shouted the moment her eyes met Jace's.

But Jace smiled and raised his arms. "We come in peace," he said as if he couldn't see the gun pointed at him. "Oh wait. I think that's your line."

"She's serious," a boy said who stepped up from behind her. "The last person who questioned her didn't fair well."

"I don't know why she's so tense," Jace said. "I'm a part of the neighborhood welcoming committee. I'm just here to give you guys a tour."

"Unless you can bring us to the legendary Tommy Oliver I'd suggest you get out of the way and forget you ever saw me." the girl said in a stern tone.

Jace took a step back, his eyes wide and his mouth silent for several seconds.

"Well he isn't in town right now," Jace said, "But I can bring you to his house."

The two stepped down off the ramp, with the girl keeping a careful eye on Jace, who was both completely aware of this and smiling because of it.

Although his smile didn't last when the second ship arrived.

The girl took a defensive stance, holding her gun forward instead of at the ship that blocked the sun above.

This action made much more sense when the teleportation beam shot down to the ground and materialized into a man dressed in black leather.

"Sorry for the slight delay," The man said, "I was tending to my energy burns."

"You're welcome," The girl said, the barrel pointed toward the man.

"So I take it this new guy isn't with you," Jace said and took a basic defense stance his dad had shown him. "Cool."

"Hey Jace," Rylan said, "Maybe we _shouldn't _get involved in this."

"What do you mean?" Jace asked, "I'm just welcoming all of our new friends." He looked toward the man, "I'm Jace Oliver, welcome to planet Earth."

"Oliver?" The man asked with a sneer. "Interesting…"

The man rushed forward, his hand pulled back into a fist.

A fist which Jace easily caught himself.

The man seemed completely unfazed by Jace's reaction, and instead merely smiled at the boy as his stinger extended from his back and shot towards Jace's neck.

But the girl managed to subdue it with a blast of energy.

"Watch out!" She warned him. "Scorpio is one of the galaxy's deadliest assassins."

"So my reputation precedes me," The man said. "I suppose I can't disappoint, then."

Jace was suddenly thrown back by a fist so fast his eyes couldn't perceive it.

The young man flew backward and into the arms of the blue-haired boy, who managed to catch him by reflex alone.

"Four deaths for three Energems…" The man said, "What a tragic loss…"

"Four deaths?" Rylan said, "Oh no. No, no, no. Please don't drag me into all of this. This isn't my business."

The man's smile widened to a mask of pure bloodlust as he took a step towards the four of them.

At that moment, as death inched closer Jace was overwhelmed by a strange floating feeling. It rose from his chest and flooded his system. It was something primal, but familiar.

And the bag at the blue-haired boy's hip began to glow.

Scorpio's tail extended as he prepared to attack the four of them. But as its white, poison dipped tip extended towards them a bright light escaped from the boy's bag and enveloped them all.

The stinger punched into Jace's chest but was easily knocked away when it hit the red material that suddenly covered his chest.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking at his hands, now covered by gloves.

"Y-your a Power Ranger!" Rylan exclaimed then looked down at his own form, "I'm a Power Ranger!"

"Stop gawking!" The girl said, now also covered in the unmistakable armor of a Power Ranger. Their armor was mostly their prime color, with their right arms silver and a black zigzag across their chests. The Pink Ranger rushed forward, her helmet emulating a dinosaur and a knight's visor. She drew a silver medieval sword deflected Scorpio's stinger.

The man scowled at the new Rangers.

"We're Power Rangers now!" Rylan said, now the Blue Ranger. "So like- you better leave!"

The man just laughed, "If you think that three Power Rangers are going to slow me down you haven't read my file."

Jace moved moments later, hoping that the man was too distracted by his own monolog to react. He swung his sword down, trying to slice into his chest.

But the man grinned and his stinger wrapped itself around Jace's sword and pulled it from his grip.

The Pink Ranger then moved in and managed to jab her sword into his side. Tearing clothes and pulling sparks from his body.

But he didn't seem too affected by the attack and kicked her body back.

"Is this really all that Earth can throw at me?" The man asked. "This is the same planet that defeated Dark Specter, and the Armada! I'd expect a more exciting fight."

Blaster fire then exploded across his chest, knocking him back before he could continue his speech.

Jace looked towards the other Rangers, but neither of them seemed to know what had just happened.

That is until the Yellow Ranger landed in front of the Rangers. She was one that Jace actually recognized, the Yellow Dino Ranger. He had received a decent amount of action figures of them as a child. The Ranger drew her Petra Grips and took a stance towards Scorpio.

"I don't know who you are," the Yellow Ranger said. "And I don't know why you're here, but if you don't back away you're going to regret it."

Jace was completely speechless, watching the new Ranger stand stoically between him and the alien assassin. It was like something ripped straight from a childhood dream.

Or maybe a recurring nightmare.

The man swung his stinger towards the Yellow Ranger but she knocked it to the side with a flashy swing of her weapon.

"Just another slummy space freak," She said, "Total yawn."

_That voice…_ Jace suddenly realized.

The man growled and his stinger punched into the dirt where the Yellow Ranger had been standing moments before. She had since then leaped into the air, and drew a blue blaster that unloaded red shots of energy directly into his chest.

The man reeled backward, smoke pouring from his chest. "Lucky shot…" he spoke through closed teeth. "Maybe I'll describe it at your funeral." And he proceeded to disappear through another teleportation beam.

"You guys okay?" The Yellow Ranger asked the trio.

"Kira?" Jace asked, still in complete shock. He then felt a stab of vertigo as his form melted away.

"Oh shit," Kira said and caught his descent. "Looks like we're both in for some explaining."

* * *

Scorpio sat alone in the main chamber of the battleship. His face a mask of annoyance as he touched the freshly wrapped wound on his chest.

"You look a little rough," a voice said as it's source entered the room. "Try this."

Scorpio caught the metal tin and examined it.

"Healing ointment?"

"It'll really help those burns," the human, little more than a boy, said.

"These?" Scorpio asked with a frown. "They're hardly blemishes."

The assassin couldn't help but grin as the hurt expression crossed the boy's face.

It was good for him to feel a little upset once in a while. Being the Praetor's _pet_ the boy was far too often spoiled.

The only way to ensure a warrior grow strong is through grit. A soft warrior isn't one at all. Merely fodder.

But what did it really matter to Scorpio? If something happened to the boy it would only move further up the rank and get him closer to the Praetor's side.

"The Dragon sent me a message," The boy said.

Scorpio frowned and silently let the boy continue.

"They finished their conquest of KO-35 and captured the Rangers there. Now they're going to Xybria."

Scorpio nodded, trying to withhold how irked he felt that the boy was contacted before him. He knew throwing a fit would be pointless. In the end, he'd just have to keep his cool and wait.

"And another thing," The boy said as he turned back towards his own chambers, "Kiaido captured the target."

Scorpio couldn't help but crack a smile at that news. The boy seemed so confident now, but what would he do when the Praetor had a brand new toy?

**A/N: After a little break I'm back and ready to deliver my personal brand of fanfiction to all of you fine folks. To anyone who's stuck with me, thank you :) and to anyone jumping in now, welcome to the adventure ;) **

**-Shadowhenshin**


	2. Chapter 2

Kira Ford, a good friend of Jace's father, and the reason Jace learned to play guitar when he was twelve sat with his mom across from him at the kitchen table.

And he couldn't believe what they told him.

"We're still talking about Dad, aren't we?" He asked. "The same guy that had to get a special tracking chip on his car keys just so he wouldn't be late to work every day?"

"That's right," Kira said, "While you've always seen him like that, millions of people around the world see him as a hero."

"I saw him as a hero!" Jace said, "I slept with a White Ranger action figure until I was six! Wait for a second- is that why I had one in the first place?"

Jace's mom just cracked a smile.

"Look," She said, "I know this is a lot, and I wish it could be under better circumstances…" She looked down at the object beside him, the Red Energem. "But it seems like the family legacy is catching up."

"That's crazy," Rylan said, "I couldn't imagine."

Kira laughed, "You might have to. After all, your dad was the second Red Ranger."

Rylan's mouth almost hit the chair, but before he could respond someone spoke up.

"So Tommy isn't here then?" The girl, Astrid, asked.

Jace's mom shook her head, "He left Kira a note saying he was on Ranger business."

"Well, that makes sense," The blue-haired boy, Trox, said, "The Praetor has been sending his goons across the entire galaxy."

"Which I assume is what brought you both here?" Rylan said.

"Basically," Astrid said. "Trox was just trying to get the Energems away from the Praetor, while I was sent here from KO-35 to worn Tommy Oliver about the Praetor's eventual arrival." She flashed a nervous expression, "Although it seems like I kick-started things a bit."

"It'll be okay," Hayley said with a faint air of nervousness, "The Energems already bonded to you three so there isn't much we can do about that. But I can study them and make some morphers to better control your morphed forms and then we can work on some kind of plan."

"You know how to make a morpher?" Jace asked.

"Well yeah," She replied, "Your father fought the monsters but who do you think made his tech?"

Jace just looked at her, still in complete shock. Sure, in Angel Grove he felt close to the heritage of the Power Rangers, but it never really felt personal to him.

Now he was being told he was literally knee deep in Ranger culture.

It was all too much insanity. More than he thought he could handle.

Until the white-haired woman in the long flowing gown appeared in the middle of the dining room.

"Thank god Chelsey went to softball practice," Jace's mom said far too casually.

"So Jace, Rylan, and everyone else," Kira said. "This is the Mystic Mother. She kind of runs the magic world."

"So that all makes sense," Rylan said, "Well about as much sense as all of this can but why is she here?"

"I came here for Tommy Oliver," The Mystic Mother said.

"You and everyone else here," Jace muttered, "But Daddy is out of town so you might as well just unload on us."

At first, the Mystic Mother seemed off-put by Jace's response, but when her eyes found the Red Energem on the table she seemed to shift slightly.

"My daughter was taken by the Praetor," The Mystic Mother said in a worried voice. "I did everything I could, but he blocked my magic energy from reaching her. I originally came here to ask Tommy for assistance," She said and looked around the room, "But it seems like the Power has changed the course of my path."

"So are you going to explain what that means?" Jace asked, much to his mother's annoyance.

"It means you three need to come with me to Briarwood," She said.

"Four," Trox spoke up, "I'm the guardian of these Energems."

"Fair enough," The Mystic Mother said.

And the four teens were all swallowed by a white light.

* * *

Her name was Bandora, happily nicknamed Bandi by those that saw the cheerful enthusiasm that radiated behind her brown eyes.

Though there was nothing but fear in them now.

She was led down a dimly lit corridor by the man clad in red armor that had broken into her house. He had been completely immune to the waves of magic her mother had thrown towards it.

Bandi didn't think she'd be able to forget the unadulterated pain that poured from her mother's wet face as she was teleported away.

Now she was alone, on a spaceship that floated miles above the Earth.

"You're extremely lucky," A voice said from behind them.

Bandi whipped around before she could realize how scared she was.

And she was met with a handsome faced man dressed in gold decorated leather armor.

"It took me months to meet him," He continued, "And even then it was extremely early."

"I believe I was the one contracted to collect the girl." The armored man said, "I'd like to get my bounty."

"Oh, how inconsiderate of me," The man said and tossed a stack of bills to the armored man, "That should be enough to cover the bounty, and a bit more. Unless you wanna handle this another way."

The armored man seethed, but took the money and left. The man smiled and wrapped his arm around Bandi.

And she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a tiny bit safer.

"I know this all overwhelming," The man said, "Our overseer isn't one for unnecessary violence," Bandora could smell the lie on his breath, "But it was only way to get you here, where we can show you the truth of the multiverse, and the catalyst of his plan."

The man then leads her to a metal door that instant slid open.

He looked to her, and she knew to step inside.

Bandi's heart nearly flew from her throat as the door shut and darkness surrounded her.

_Do not fear me, child._

The icy voice cut through the void like a hot knife.

_I am not the enemy. I am the light._

She held onto her sanity with every ounce of strength she had. Even as she felt the mysterious voice dip his hands into her mind.

_Let me show you the truth._

That was when she finally screamed.

* * *

The four teens suddenly found themselves in a large cavern. Torches fueled by blue flames led the way as the Mystic Mother silently walked.

Jace still couldn't believe this, any of it. His world had shifted right under his feet and left him in a landscape he couldn't even recognize. Despite the fear, despite the world-shattering hours. He wasn't afraid. In fact it all exciting. It was a sort of familiar resonance, like putting on a pair of shoes that were already worn to the feet.

Though considering everything he'd learned he supposed that might just be genetics.

"These caves were constructed by the Morphing Masters thousands of years ago," The Mystic Mother said. "Their existence was hidden, from even the most trusted sorcerers."

They moved deeper into the cavern, and the same rush of energy Jace had felt when the Energem bonded with him began again.

The Mystic Mother led them into a large circular room, two bright torches illuminated the area, coloring her white attire in the aquamarine glow.

"These are the Power Eggs," The Mystic Mother explained. She then gestured towards a golden shrine where three white colored eggs sat. "They are the embodiment of limitless potential. But the Morphing Masters feared them, and stunted their growth." She then looked towards the Rangers, a fierce determination in her eyes. "But with the help of your Energems I believe they can be awakened, and the Power Eggs can develop a brand new species. Something that can hopefully defeat the Praetor."

"Great!" Jace exclaimed, "What do we do?"

"Hold on," Astrid said, grabbing Jace by the back of his shirt. "Are we sure this is a good idea?"

"Yeah, I'm with her," Rylan said, "Limitless potential only sounds good if we know what we're doing."

"But you do," The Mystic Mother said, "Or at the very least you will. We have all been brought here by the Morphing Grid, the force that guards all life. The Eggs being hidden, the three Energems finding you, all of it has been a part of the Grid's plan."

"So a mysterious force is pulling us towards an even more mysterious fate?" Jace asked, "Well you don't have to tell me twice."

With that he moved towards the egg in the center, placing his hand on top of it.

Suddenly the egg began to glow. A crimson halo covered its curved form. The glow became so intense it physically shifted the color of the egg itself, turning it red.

Astrid then turned to Trox who was watching the affair with a disturbed fascination.

"I've never heard of them being used like this, but I suppose it makes sense. They are crystalline Grid Energy, so why couldn't they be used to kick start new life?"

"But is it a good idea?" She asked Trox.

The boy shrugged, "I can't say, but if the Mystic Mother believes so then I don't see a reason to doubt her."

Astrid looked from Trox back to the egg, then she shrugged and placed her hand on top of it.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Rylan said, "But I really don't want to be the odd one out." So he as well placed his hand on the Egg.

The three eggs had all grown and taken the color of each respective Energem, even glowing with a halo of said color.

"Okay cool," Jace said. "Now what?"

"Now we be patient," Mystic Mother said. "It'll take time for them to grow."

In an instant, her expression shifted into a sour mask.

"There's an intruder in Rootcore," she spoke then turned towards the three newest Rangers. "Please prevent another tragedy." She spoke softly before the three were teleported away.

* * *

Leanbow and Nick danced around the army of robotic soldiers. Sparks flew from their morphed forms, but they continued to hold the ground around Rootcore.

"Not bad for being a bit rusty," The Wolf Warrior told his son.

"Says you," The Red Mystic Ranger said and melted a nearby robot with a rush of flames. "You're not getting any older."

A group of soldiers flanked their side, getting the duo while they were distracted.

But thankfully they were halted by a rush of snowy air that coated them in ice.

"You guys can have a pissing contest when we're safe," The White Mystic Ranger said.

Even with the threat of an invasion, the spirits were still high. They had been warned that the Praetor's troopers were immune to a multitude of magic, but elemental magic was extremely hard to deflect, meaning they still had an advantage.

Nick was slashing into an oncoming robot when he caught something in the corner of his eye. He turned just in time to meet the blade of another adversary.

"Okay, this guy is giving me bad vibes." He said as he tried to fight off the Purple armored Ranger.

Nick jumped backward and shot flames toward the enemy, but he raised his shield and deflected the attack.

Udonna rushed to the aid of her son, jumping at the new Ranger from the side.

He turned towards her and easily knocked her aside with his sword, sending sparks from her armor as she tumbled across the ground.

The Purple Knight knocked Nick back with another swing of his sword and turned back towards Udonna.

"I don't want to keep fighting," The Knight said softly. "If you surrender yourself to the Praetor I'll leave the other's alone."

"You'd be crazy to think that'll work!" Nick proclaimed, struggling to stand.

But then Leanbow stepped forward.

"I'll go instead," He said, standing stoically.

"Dad! What are you doing?" Nick exclaimed.

"The Praetor won't stop unless he gets what he wants," The Wolf Warrior said and demorphed, "We might be able to win this battle, but what next? You'd never be safe."

"He's a villain!" Nick said, "Why are you going to trust him?"

"He has the heart of a warrior," Leanbow said, "There's no misdirection in his motives."

At that moment the three newest Rangers rushed to the scene, each of them wielding their silver blades.

Red jumped between Leanbow and the Purple Ranger and swung his sword down.

The two blades clashed with a rush of sparks.

"I was waiting for you to show up," The Purple Ranger said.

"Are you satisfied?" Jace asked.

"Hardly," The Purple Ranger muttered and knocked Jace away with a single swing.

Rylan rushed towards Nick and Udonna, helping both of the injured Rangers to their feet.

"We're fine," Nick said, "But someone needs to get my dad before he does something stupid."

Meanwhile, Jace and the armored Ranger continued their battle, each of them dancing around each other's blades while trying to get the next jab in.

"You have an impressive amount of energy," The purple knight observed. "But you lack any formal training."

"Where does that leave you if you can't keep up?" Jace asked, smiling under his helmet. He caught a blind spot and jabbed his sword towards it.

But the enemy quickly swung his own blade upwards, knocking Jace's sword from his hand and sending it clanking against the ground.

"Learn how to use a sword before challenging me again," The purple warrior spat.

Just then the Pink Ranger arrived. She rushed from the side, getting a quick stab into the enemy's armor before positioning herself between them.

"Yeah, yeah, don't pick a fight you can't win," Jace spat, "Don't waste your breath."

"I don't determine what fights you can win," The Pink Ranger replied, "Just don't be so reckless next time."

"Due noted," Jace snarked off and picked himself up.

The Pink Ranger took a defensive stance as the enemy charged forward. Sparks danced off her sword as the dramatic clank rang out.

"None of you are fit for battle," the Purple Ranger said. "How disappointing."

With a mere flick of his wrist, her sword was ripped from her grip.

The knight then grabbed Leanbow by the shirt and spat towards the new Rangers, "You have potential to be great. It would be a waste to spill your blood."

"No!" Nick screamed and threw himself towards them. By then the Knight and Leanbow were both zapped away, leaving nothing but a tearful Nick. "I don't want to lose you again…"

* * *

Spirits were low at Rootcore, where the Rangers had retreated to meet up with Trox, the Mystic Mother, and even Kira.

"Your mom is working like crazy on your gear," Kira explained. "Otherwise she'd be here to give you this speech."

"What speech?" Jace asked.

"The 'pick yourself back up' one."

Jace just shrugged, "Don't need it."

Kira blinked several times before saying, "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," Jace replied, "I already know what I've gotta do."

"Yeah?" She asked eyebrow raised, "What is that?"

"I just need to train more."

"That's… actually what I was going to say."

Rylan put his hand on Nick's shoulder, who was sitting somberly in the corner. "Hey dude, don't worry. We'll get your dad back."

"I know he'll be okay," Nick muttered. "He survived in the underworld for as long as he did. I just feel like I failed him."

"Your father made a choice," Udonna said, "Nothing you could have done would stop him."

"We could have won," He replied bitterly.

Jace looked at the pure regret and dread painted on Nick's face, the never-ending gnaw that came from worrying about someone you love.

He wondered how many times extended businesses trips had actually been that or if they were a cover-up for a mission gone wrong.

How many times had his dad almost been gone for good?

Somewhere, deep in his chest, he began to feel a faint tightness.

"So what now?" Rylan asked.

"Already got that figured out," Jace said, "We train, we get better, and when that purple bastard comes back we kick his ass."

"Well with someone after Rangers, again," Kira said with both a sense of urgency and annoyance, "I'll work on warning the Rangers I know."

"Great," Jace said, "But does anyone know any good swordsmen?"

"Normally I'd suggest my Dad," Nick said, his fists white, "But I can show you everything he's taught me over the years."

"You are all free to stay here or leave Rootcore," Udonna said, "But I encourage you to stay vigilant. This evil is unlike anything we've seen in years. Express great caution."

"I'm not worried," Jace said, "Not while I have this." and drew his Energem.

"Yeah, about that," Kira said and grabbed it from his hand.

"Ha, that's cute," Jace said, "Can I have it back?"

"No," Kira said, "Your mom needs them to better calibrate the morphers. Plus without something to regulate the raw grid energy you risk frying yourself every time you morph."

Jace's face grew red as he glared at Kira.

"Just relax," Rylan said and handed Kira his own Energem. "She's just trying to keep you alive."

"I don't need anyone to keep me alive," Jace replied, "I need some badass sword skills and a Ranger suit."

Kira rolled her eyes, "You're going to need a lot more than that if you want to do justice to that red suit."

Jace rolled his eyes back at Kira and scuffed, "You won't be so smug when I have that purple helmet in my hands."

Kira just turned towards Astrid and took her Energem, "Life isn't a just a game, Jace," She said before being teleported away by the Mystic Mother.

"That's just what losers say," Jace said, "But I'm gonna have this in the bag."

* * *

Chip Thorn was walking home with a handful of groceries in his hand, along with a magazine that read, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Real or Myth? Things had been increasing silent lately with Xander and the other amazing folks bettering the relationship between the two realms.

He was even more excited to pick up the Yellow Mystic Force action figure for Nick and Maddie's daughter, even though she much preferred the Red one. He still found joy in the fact she was obsessed with superheroes in general; although that might have something to do with the fact these heroes were not only real but her family.

Chip was altered to a sound in a nearby ally, cast in shadow by the setting sun.

"Hello?" He asked, figuring it was probably a confused magic creature experiencing some culture shock. It was fairly common, even all these years later. "It's okay, I'm the Yellow Mystic Ranger. If there's something you need I can help you."

"Wonderful," A voice said as the figure stepped into the light, "I was hoping you could come with me."

Chip took one look at this man, leather and gold armor, and instantly knew what was going on.

"Look," Chip said, "I really don't want to fight."

"Even better," The man said, "That'll make this a whole lot easier."

Chip flashed into his yellow armor, his cape flowing behind him.

The man just smiled, as his eyes shifted from brown to yellow.

And Scorpio revealed his true form.

**A/N: As always I encourage anyone who reads my stories to offer their opinion in the review sections. Writing, or any form of artistic creation, is an exercise and the goal should always be to improve. So offering criticism is not only helpful but necessary. That being said, if you do leave a review please understand that I refuse to delete them, no matter their content. So please ensure you are properly articulating your thoughts before memorializing them ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

Astrid could vividly remember the first time she saw her mother cry.

It was a warm Kerovian afternoon, peak trading hours, and the perfect time to catch a traveling food vendor.

Astrid had been nine at the time, following close to her mother's hip.

Her mother wiped the sweat from her brow and went to order some fried noodles from an Edenite at his booth.

Initially, the man just smiled, commented on the nice weather and prepared the food. But then something shifted, and his smile melted into a scowl.

"You…" he whispered in a fearful tone. "I thought you perished with all the other monsters who worshiped that demon!"

Her mother's eyes flashed around the area, "I think you're mistaken…"

"We both know I'm not!" He screamed. "That face, I could never forget that face. _Astronoma!_"

Her mom quickly grabbed the noodles and ran off, barely slowing down enough for Astrid to keep up.

Once they were far away from anyone, just the two of them at a bench, Astrid spoke up.

"Mom, who is Astronoma?"

"Just eat your noodles," her mom said in between discrete sobs.

It wasn't until she was a little older than she realized how dumb that question was.

* * *

It had been a week since the last time the Rangers encountered the Praetor's lackeys, but two of the Mystic Force Rangers had still gone missing.

"I just hope V is safe," Madison Russell, said to Astrid as they watched Jace and her husband, Nick spar. "Chip too."

"Well there hasn't been a body found for any of the missing Rangers," Astrid said.

"So they should be good," Trox chimed. "Unless he's collecting their bodies for something…"

Astrid winced as the pained expression crossed Madison's face.

"That was a little harsh dude," Rylan said to the blue-haired boy.

Trox lowered his head slightly, "I wasn't trying to distress you, I was just exploring all possibilities."

"It's okay," Madison said, "We just have to hope for the best."

Before the awkward silence could settle in the room two new figures stepped into Rootcore.

"Why the somber faces?" Xander Bly asked, "You aren't the least bit excited to see me?"

Madison shot up and embraced the Green Ranger while Kira entered behind him. "I figured he could use an escort, especially after everything that's happened."

"Kira filled me in," Xander said with a heavy look on his face. "Don't fret though, I'm sure Chip and V are holding on. Waiting for us to save their butts."

Jace and Nick were still deep into their duel, but Jace could see that Xander's arrival had distracted Nick a bit. Jace took this as an opportunity to lunge forward with his wooden blade.

But still, Nick was able to parry it without fail.

"You're improving vastly," Nick said, "But you should never rely on a distracted opponent to ensure a victory."

Jace scowled but Astrid actually found it amusing. In the past few days, she'd started to peel back the new Red Ranger a bit.

What she found was that he was far too cocky for his own good. So getting knocked down a few pegs would be nothing but healthy for his ego.

Nick turned away from Jace to greet Xander, "It's been a while," Nick said. "Ava's gonna be excited to see you."

"The feeling's mutual," Xander said. "It's just a shame that this is my excuse to visit." Xander then turned to Jace and smiled. "You must be Tommy's kid. Kira's been telling me about you for years. I've been meaning to meet you, I've just had my hands full. Being the ambassador of the human world can pretty time-consuming."

He held his hand out and Jace took it.

"So why are we all cooped up in here?" Xander asked, "When there's a buffet in Briarwood I haven't seen in months that has the best Crab Rangoon."

"We've been trying to lay low," Nick said, "The Praetor's men could come at any moment."

"Well we already know they know about Rootcore," Xander said, "So since we can't hide we shouldn't worry about being hidden."

Silence grew as nobody really had a counter argument.

"You guys go," Udonna said, "I'll stay here and continue working on a way to find Leanbow's life essence."

"Are you sure?" Nick asked.

"I'm sure," Udonna said and put her hands on her son's shoulders. "It's like you said, I don't want to lose him again. Leanbow and I are connected if anyone can find him and the other Ranger's it's me."

"Alright," Nick said with a nod. "Just please be safe."

"Always," She said and kissed his forehead.

Astrid watched the exchange with a chill shooting down her spine.

Just a week ago she had had a similar exchange with her own mom.

And she couldn't shake that this was also a goodbye.

* * *

_The skies above KO-35 were painted red by the setting sun. _

_Andros, the Red Space Ranger, swung his drill saber at the assailant, but they merely parried it with a pair of twin blades and knocked him back a few steps. _

_Uncle Andros wasn't one to be so matched, so to see it happen with her own eyes didn't exactly sit well with her. _

_Astrid found herself clinging to her mother, who watched with silent fury. _

"_You both need to get to Megaship!" Andros said, "Find Tommy and warn him about what's coming. If anyone knows how to stop the Praetor it's him."_

_The warrior he dueled, who was covered in a black cloak and battle armor knocked Andros back again._

"_I said go," Andros said as his battlizer formed around his suit._

_Astrid's mom grabbed her hand and pulled her back._

"_Is he going to be okay?" Astrid asked with growing anxiety. _

"_Of course," His mother said, "Andros has been through way worse."_

_Not long after they began their sprint the Megaship came into view. It sat like a beacon of hope, as proof that the storm could be weathered through. _

_And for a moment she believed that things were going to be okay._

_But then a ground shaking trembling vibrated around them and a bulking creature jumped from atop a nearby building and landed in front of them._

_The creature was massive, with armor that resembled a medieval castle. He looked at Astrid's mom, a smile on his blue face. "Well if it isn't Karone, or should I say Astronoma!"_

"_That part of me is in the past," Her mom said and drew something Astrid didn't know her mother possessed, a morpher._

_But before she could use it she turned to Astrid, a sad look on her face. _

"_Listen close to me," She said in a voice that broke Astrid's heart. "You need to get to the Megaship, the coordinates to Earth are already programmed. It'll make sense when you get there." _

_Astrid was too overwhelmed to speak. _

"_I'll be okay," Her mother said and pulled Astrid in so tightly she didn't know if she could believe her. "Uncle Andros and I will be close behind."_

_She then kissed Astrid on the forehead and turned around._

"_Go Galactic!" Her mother screamed as she transformed into a pink ranger._

_Astrid found her feet moving before she knew what she was doing, and as her mother dueled the massive knight she reached the ship and ran inside of it. _

_The door closed and Astrid found herself alone control room. The silence was quickly cut by the hum of the CRT television that flashed to life. _

"_Karone…" The voice of Andros came through the speakers._

_Astrid turned to see the face of her uncle on the fuzzy screen. "If you're seeing this then DECCA knows I didn't make it there. I hope you and Astrid are doing okay." _

_The teenage girl felt her insides twist, Andros suspected he'd get left behind, but not her own mother. _

"_Getting to Earth is important, but there's a bit of a pit stop on the way. There's a ship you need to intercept. You have to find it and get the Energems before the Praetor does."_

_The Praetor… she thought to herself. He was the one behind all of this. _

"_Just… Be safe. And may the Power protect you."_

_With that, the ship took off, and Astrid fell to the ground. _

_And she cried alone for the next hour as empty space consumed the ship._

* * *

The buffet was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon, giving the large group of Rangers and alumni the space to breathe and decompress.

Kira finished taking a photo with the ecstatic owners after they promised not to tweet them until _after _she was out of dodge, and proceeded to go get some food.

"I'm not used to Earth food yet," Astrid said with Trox at her heels. "I was wondering if you could give me some advice."

"Well I'm not sure exactly what you'll like," Kira said. "But if you want you can just follow me and get what I do."

She then caught the gaze of Trox, who had anxious expression.

"It's against my religion to eat animals," he said softly.

"Well the Mac and Cheese doesn't have animal per se, but it does have milk in it…" Kira said looking down at the tray.

"Milk is fine," Trox said. "Because it endorses a symbiotic relationship."

Kira didn't exactly think human agriculture could be classified like that but didn't think it was worth stopping the small wiry boy from filling his plate.

He ran off with enough macaroni and cheese to make a five-year-old jealous, leaving only her and Astrid.

"So what's the deal with Jace?" Astrid asked as she took some egg drop soup.

Kira rolled her eyes, "I'll tell you if I ever find out." She then shook her head, realizing how angry that sounded. "He's got a lot going on right now, and he's still just a kid. I remember what I was like at his age."

"It's just…" Astrid said, "For the son of Tommy Oliver he's…"

"I know," Kira said. "And I'd definitely like to think he's doing his best. He just makes it awful hard to be positive sometimes." Kira shrugged as nostalgia rushed past her. "I just have to be patient, after all my Red had his fair share of growing pains."

With her plate full Astrid ran off to sit next to Trox. Kira gazed around the room, past Jace and Rylan in their own corner, and the Mystic Rangers in theirs.

And she was left wondering where she fits in.

"Hey, Kira!" Xander called from the table filled up by the Mystic Rangers. "I saved you a seat."

Kira smiled and headed over. She was left feeling the same level of awkwardness she was awarded the first time she migrated to the "adult" table during family get-togethers.

Still… she couldn't help but feel gnawing at her stomach as she watched the teens from afar.

"I wonder how Dr.O felt after me and my team accidentally bonded with the Dino Gems,"

"Dr.O?" Xander asked. "Oh, you mean Tommy. I don't know, it's gotta be weird to suddenly be responsible for three teenagers." He shrugged. "But someone had to do it, and it seems like things worked out for the best."

Kira nodded. This whole time she'd been worried about herself and the past Rangers being targeted by the Praetor.

But maybe her attention should be elsewhere.

* * *

Udonna knew what was coming next, she could feel it even as she put all of her energy towards searching the astral planes for her husband.

"You're different then the last one he sent," Udonna said to the man that approached from behind her.

"That's because I'm the one they send when they want progress."

Udonna turned just in time for the white stinger to shoot past her head.

She drew her wand, but it was slapped out of her hand. Then it looped around, digging itself into her neck.

She fell to the ground as her vision started to blur.

"Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice called out.

Udonna turned to see a blob of color that could only be one man.

Daggeron, the Gold Mystic Ranger armed his morpher. "Fear not, Udonna. I can handle this wannabe warrior."

* * *

With a healthy sized lunch resting in everyone's stomach the three Rangers, Kira, and Trox headed back to Angel Grove while the Mystic Rangers all went back to Rootcore.

"You know what we need?" Kira asked from the driver's seat of her yellow Escalade, "A teleporter. Your dad used to tell me all kinds of stories of Zordon sending him to other planets."

"Sounds like you're just tired of wasting gas," Jace replied.

Kira smirked, "That too. Maybe I'll start a tab for when your dad gets back."

"Like you don't have the money to spare," Jace said, offering a smile back.

"You should see some of the checks he's gotten for Ranger business over the years," Kira said. "He didn't buy that motorcycle on his teacher's salary."

Jace was about to open his mouth, but then Kira's phone started to beep.

"That's Xander," Kira said with a growing frown. She tapped the green button on her dashboard. "What's up."

"_Sorry to pull you back to Briarwood,"_ Xander said. "_But there's a bit of a situation."_

"I'm on it," Kira said and busted an illegal u-turn.

Rootcore was in complete disarray when they arrived. Bookshelves overturned, furniture flipped, and a mixture of glass and various liquids coated the ground.

Nick was incredibly pale, pale enough for it to be obvious what had happened.

"I'm so sorry…" Kira said and put her hand on Nick's shoulder.

"She knew he was coming," Nick said bitterly, "So why did she send us away?"

"Udonna hasn't lead us astray yet," Xander said. "We just have to trust her."

Nick nodded.

"Hey guys," Madison said, "It looks like Udonna wasn't the only one." In her hand, she held a gold scrap of cloth, one that was identical to the material used to make Daggeron's jacket.

"That's not all," Xander said, holding Udonna's wand in his hand.

Everyone crowded around the wand, the one object Udonna always kept close at hand.

"Well," Rylan said, "Now we know one thing."

Everyone's gaze fell upon the newest Blue Ranger. "Whatever that Praetor guy is after. It has nothing to do with the Morpher, and everything to do with the Rangers."

* * *

Downtown Briarwood, late afternoon. The kids were just getting off school, and the roads were congested by everything from buses to a fleet of teenagers on their longboards.

It was an area so flooded with bodies nobody paid notice to the boy wrapped in a purple long coat.

He looked at the humans, completely lost in their own obliviousness. Thinking about what he had to do filled his soul with remorse.

It was cruel to break that illusion.

But he had to do it, both for the sake of the Praetor and the wellbeing of life in the multiverse.

So he raised his arm and revealed a morpher glowing with purple light.

In a flash, his purple armor formed around him, and he didn't waste a second before swinging his sword down and unleashing a wave of energy that tore into a cafe that had closed an hour prior.

People screamed as glass exploded into the building and everything around it tumbled into chaos.

He then charged his weapon with energy and sliced into a nearby McDonald's sign, which crashed into the freshly evacuated parking lot.

"What's your problem?" The Red Ranger asked as he appeared with his blue and pink companions. "Get bored and decide to start wrecking things? Do you have frustration you're trying to work through? Because I can tell you that counseling is a lot less painful than letting us handle things."

The Red Ranger swung his sword down, but the Purple Ranger easily parried it.

But then the Red Ranger jumped back and quickly jabbed his sword forward before the armored Ranger could detect the attack.

Sparks flew, but it didn't bother him much.

Instead, he shield bashed Red backward and sent his body rolling across the asphalt.

He smiled from under his helmet, for a second he thought Red might have actually improved. Thankfully it was just a split second of luck.

Unfortunately, the Green, Red, and Blue Mystic Rangers appeared and separated the fool from the purple knight's relentless blade.

"How did you get your Energem back from Kira," The Green Mystic Ranger asked.

"Took it at the buffet," he admitted. "It's not like she had time to lock them in a safe."

The Purple Ranger had little interest in the chit chat of the four Power Rangers. He charged his blade with energy and rushed forward, knocking the Mystic Rangers back before they had the chance to respond.

Then, he raised his sword to finish the first fight.

The blade flew downwards but was caught by the Red Ranger's own blade.

"A distracted opponent doesn't mean a victory,'' The Red Ranger spoke. He then kicked into the midsection of the Purple Ranger and pushed him back. Far enough for Red to pull his own blade back and rake his sword against the Purple Ranger.

While a normal attack from their weapons did little against his armor, this attack was different.

Wisps of red energy trailed from the attack, and he could feel a slight pain mixed with the strangeness of his own energy being destabilized.

The Ranger prepared another swing, but before it could deliver he suddenly fell to his knees, his body shifting between morphed and unmorphed. He stood up for a second before completely demorphing.

"Jace! Are you stupid or something?!" The boy that had become the Blue Ranger at the same time as Red called as approached the now empty street.

"Hey!" The newest Pink replied, "Watch with the names!"

"Sorry," The boy replied, and turned to Red, apparently named Jace. "Anyway, if you hadn't run off like an idiot your mom might have been able to give you one of these," He said and revealed a device on his wrist, a chunk of black metal with a red dinosaur head on it.

The boy and the girl both took a stance, revealing their devices on one arm and it called out," It's Morphin Time, Dino Shine!" They then flipped the silver visor over the dinosaur head, giving it the appearance of a knight. Then a bright light swallowed the teens and replaced them with the Pink and Blue Rangers.

The two new Rangers grouped with the recovered Mystic Rangers, who all stood together against the purple warrior

"_Retreat and heal your wounds," _A voice said through the comms. "_I'll handle them."_

The Purple Ranger shrugged, he was perfectly fine with that. After all, he was only really interested in the Red Ranger.

He turned towards Jace, now in his normal attire and struggling to stand. "Jace," He said coldly. "Since I know your name I'll share mine. Lucius."

Lucius then took a deep breath and teleported away from the battle.

* * *

"Well that was quick," Rylan said and lowered his sword. "Guess we can go home."

"Don't run your mouth so quickly," Astrid snapped. Despite the now silent atmosphere, she could smell something about to arrive.

And it didn't waste a second. A beam shot the ground and materialized a new threat, along with a small posse of armored robots.

Astrid lost her breath as the icy hand grabbed hold of her stomach and tugged it to the ground.

She found herself staring at the monster that invaded her planet. The one that prevented her mother from escaping the planet.

Astrid raised her blade and prepared to strike him down.

**A/N: I decided against using the Ryu Souls, nothing against them they're just currently unnecessary to my story. Don't forget to review :) **

**-Shadowhenshin**


	4. Chapter 4

Astrid didn't have time to be scared, didn't have time to relive the moment she dreamt about every single night, she didn't even have time to hold her breath.

She only had time for action.

The Pink Ranger rushed forward, her blade pulled behind her head and ready to slice the enemy in half.

She swung down, but he parried with his massive, watch-tower shaped sword.

And his blue lips curled at the Pink Ranger.

"Such ferocity," The massive warrior said, "Let's see if you can keep up."

Using his brute strength he pushed her backward. Astrid fell onto her back, still clenching her sword. She quickly sprang up and took a defensive stance.

"That's more then the last Pink Ranger offered me," he taunted. "She made my retrieval mission a piece of cake."

And that was when she snapped.

With a belly full of fire she jumped at the enemy. This time she managed to get a quick jab in, pulling sparks from his thick armor.

"Tough jab for a little girl," he said and threw his fist into her midsection, knocking the wind out of her even through her armor.

Astrid fell to the ground. Her body gasping for oxygen.

"You were a fool to think you could handle me in a one on one fight," the towering warrior said and lifted Astrid into the air. "But I love putting pathetic Rangers in their place."

The monster of a warrior then lifted Astrid high into the air and slammed her into the concrete hard enough to spiderweb it around her body.

Thankfully at that moment, the three Mystic Rangers rushed to her aid.

"It's easy to beat on someone when you outweigh them by two tons," The Green Mystic Ranger said. "But let's see how you handle a more balanced team." Xander then waved his wand and an army of vines crawled up the enemy's legs.

The Red and Blue Mystic Rangers drew their wands and blasted the opposing knight with fire and water respectively.

He growled and shot a blast of energy from his sword the knocked the three Mystic Rangers away.

Then he lifted his massive leg, tearing his botanical restraints away.

He then charged forward and grabbed hold of the Blue Mystic Ranger.

"Maddie!" Nick screamed and rushed to free her, but the enemy swung his sword and knocked Nick backward in a flurry of sparks.

"Well it's been fun," The Knight said, "But I must depart."

A teleportation beam came from above and swallowed them both.

Nick demorphed, his face seeming more heavy and burdened. "My birth parents… and my wife…"

"It'll be okay," Xander said, "We'll get them back."

"Maybe…" He said darkly, "But it doesn't feel that way."

* * *

Lucius walked down the metal hallway of the battleship, his hands pulled hard into fists.

He couldn't believe that inexperienced _boy_ had managed to lay a finger on him. He'd faced hundreds of trained warriors who wished for that level of luck.

Dozens of missions on dozens of planets, even totally different realities, and yet it was a pup with a sword that had managed to crawl under his skin.

"Lucius," A gravelly voice said from behind him.

He didn't need to see the source of the voice to know who it belonged to, so Lucius turned and bowed accordingly.

Kiaido stood in front of him. The warrior was Praetor's oldest, and most trusted tool. He was the last of his people, a clan of bounty hunters who once ruled an entire sector of space and terrorized the rest.

"Yes, sir?" Lucius asked the man who oversaw much of his training after joining the Crimson Raiders.

"I saw your latest battle," The bounty hunter said. "And I'm disappointed in you."

"The Red Ranger has shown incredible improvement," Lucius said in a defensive tone. "I didn't notice it at the time, but it's clear to me now that he's been receiving some kind of training from a knowledgeable swordsman."

"Skill had nothing to with it," Kiaido said, "You lost because you underestimate your opponent. Treat everyone as if they are the ultimate adversary, and never let your guard down."

Lucius nodded silently.

"And one other thing," The bounty hunter said as he passed Lucius down the hall. "You best be diligent with your failures. The Praetor doesn't keep warriors who can't ensure success."

* * *

After the chaos that wrecked Briarwood Astrid, and Rylan brought Jace back to his house to rest.

"I knew he was going to do something like this," Hayley muttered, looking over to his bedroom where he lay passed out. "I was just hoping I could get the morphers done before it."

"We all tried our hardest to keep him out of trouble," Kira said with her hand on Hayley's shoulder. "But sometimes trouble is the only thing Jace can get himself into."

Astrid tried to get absorbed in their conversation, but no matter what she did she couldn't get that nasty blue face out of her mind.

In hindsight, if her mother couldn't defeat the monster how was she supposed to? But that didn't leave her feeling any less hollow.

She sighed and stood up, maybe she just needed some time alone to recharge.

"Hey Astrid," Trox said as she approached the door.

"What?" She snapped at the blue-haired boy.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go on a walk."

"Why would I?"

"You seem really disjointed," Trox said sheepishly, "I figured a walk could help clear your head."

She looked at the boy, and how discouraged he was by her tone. "I guess we can do that."

The two moved towards the door and went outside, but after a couple of steps, they noticed a girl walking up to the Oliver residence.

She was tall and gorgeous, with a small afro on her head and a septum ring.

She gave the two a rather confused stare, and Astrid could almost swear there was hostility directed towards her.

"So are you guys who Jace has been hanging out with lately?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well technically-" Trox began before Astrid spoke up.

"You could say that. Why does it matter though?"

The girl shrugged, "I guess it doesn't. I just came by to give him this." She reached into her bag and tossed Astrid a blue sweatshirt.

Astrid examined the clothing, it looked like it would be big around the girl's small athletic frame.

"And tell him when he's done ignoring my texts I need my Ghost Mane album back," She said in an annoyed tone and promptly left without another word.

Astrid looked at Trox, then back at the sweatshirt, and went back inside to drop it off.

"I promise she's usually in a better mood," Hayley said, who had apparently been standing at the door.

"Who is she?" Astrid asked.

"Well until a few weeks ago she was Jace's girlfriend," Hayley explained, "But her name is Sierra."

"Girlfriend?"

"A sort of courtship," Trox said, "Atleast that's what I've gathered from my research."

"I don't think watching T.V all day is research," Astrid said.

"It is when the information is actually useful."

"Anyway," Astrid said and looked back to Hayley. "She was his _girlfriend_, why isn't she now?"

"Because Jace is Jace," Kira replied from the living room.

Astrid didn't exactly understand, but she got enough of the context to just shrug. She then looked back to Trox, "You still want that walk?"

* * *

Trox and Astrid both sat under the afternoon sky with ice cream in hand. Previously Kira had taken all of them, minus Jace, out there and Astrid had fallen in love with the treat.

"So you're the Energems' guardian," Astrid said. "What's that like?"

"Well it isn't something I've done for long, but I know it's an honor few get."

"What do you mean by that?" Astrid asked. "I figured it was something you did for life."

"Typically it is," Trox explained. "But I was a last-second replacement."

"Why'd they need a last-second replacement?"

"My brother was killed by a mercenary that came to steal the Energems. Sentai Six doesn't have heroes, so when the walls came crashing down the only thing we could do was run. I took the Energems, more or less hoping they would leave the planet to chase me and end the carnage."

Astrid felt her insides tug as the pain washed over Trox's face. She couldn't imagine how hard it would be to trade your life away to save your home.

Still, she supposed knowing that made her feel more connected to Trox. They were both refugees who were forced to flee their homes.

"I'm just glad you saved me," Trox said. "My ship was sending out a distress signal for a week and I was starting to think I was done for."

Well, Astrid figured that could explain how Andros knew about Trox and was able to program the Megaship to find him.

But still… what kind of end game did he have in mind?

Astrid was brought back to reality by a beeping that escaped her morpher. She tapped the bottom red button cautiously. "Uh, hello?"

"_This is Kira_, _and I need you here right now." _She said in a desperate voice. "_There's major trouble in Briarwood._"

* * *

Behind Lucius marched thirty automations. They stomped through the forest, crushing everything in sight.

Lucius puffed his chest and tried to stand tall. He needed to be powerful and stoic. He needed to be someone the Praetor would rely on.

They headed into the mythical forest that acted as a barrier between worlds, towards the towering tree that held Rootcore.

But two men stood before them.

"You may have taken my family," The first man said. "But you won't take my home."

In a flash, the two transformed into the Red and Green Mystic Rangers.

Lucius drew his own morpher and summoned his purple armor. "Nobody will stand in the path of the Praetor unscathed."

"That sounds like a challenge," The Green Ranger said and summoned the staff that allowed him to access his Legendary Mystic Mode. Red followed suit and by the time Lucius charged he was heading towards the Rangers in their advanced mode.

The Red Ranger flew like a fiery phoenix towards Lucius but the purple ranger held out his shield and deflected the attack.

"You promised my father if he gave himself up you'd stop!" The Red Ranger screamed. "But you lied and everyone is gone."

"I didn't lie," Lucius said. "I said that _I'd _leave you all alone. But I have no control over my comrades." The armored Ranger pulled his shield back and bashed into the Red Ranger's helmet, sending his body tumbling back.

The Green Ranger raised his staff and summoned a mass of vines that shot towards Lucius, crawling up his legs.

He tried to break free from their grasp, but the thick plants held him firmly to the ground.

He looked towards his army and felt a spike of anxiety. How was he supposed to lead the charge while tied up?

"We must not allow the siege to fail," The bulking general said to the army. "We will show the true might of the Crimson Raiders!"

Lucius watched in hopeless desperation as the entire squadron charged on without him.

**A/N: After chewing over the idea for a while I'm going to experiment with my first O.C contest. If you want one of your characters to potentially suit up in a future story of mine all you have to do is post a review of what you think of this story so far and a short description of the character. There will be two slots available but if this proves fruitful I'll do more in the future. If I chose your character I'll shoot you a PM so we can further discuss your characters details :) **

**I look forward to your submissions ;)**

**-Shadowhenshin**


	5. Chapter 5

"When you said trouble I didn't know you meant full-on warfare," Rylan muttered as the trio approached the chaos.

The forest was in ruins, the trees around them were engrossed in flame and huts reduced to rubble. The Crimson Raiders were a tornado of fury and left no survivors.

"I'm glad to see the cavalry arrived.," The Green Mystic Ranger said, his concentration directed towards keeping the purple warrior tied to the ground. "Nick grouped with a handful or other warriors to hold off the Raiders as long as they can. While me, I'm just keeping our friend busy."

The Purple Ranger tried in vain to raise his arms, then turned to the Green Ranger. "You're going to pay for this," He spat.

"Likewise champ," He then turned back towards Astrid and the other Rangers, "I'd suggest you guys do what you can with Nick. He's gonna need all the help he can get."

"You might want a raincheck on that," A tinny male voice said from under his red helmet.

Astrid froze as she finally realized who stood before them. "Kiaido…" she muttered. "The legendary bounty hunter."

Everyone else shared an equal level of shock as her words danced silently in the air.

"Some might disagree," Kiaido said and drew a handheld teleportation controller. "But I think I give Sledge a run for his money," He then pressed the button and a beam of light shot to the ground.

A creature materialized from the beam, a brown colored monster that was a strange mix of a bipedal body and three sharp-toothed worm heads.

"A death worm," Kiaido said, "Taken right from my collection."

"Something tells me we should spend a little less time gawking and a little more time morphing," Rylan said and raised his morpher.

The two Rangers morphed, with Kira close behind, right as the monster charged.

The Pink Ranger jabbed her blade forward, slicing into the creature's side and unleashing sparks.

The creature cried out and moved in for another attack, but she quickly delivered a kick to its massive midsection and sent it stumbling backward.

The damage offered some satisfaction, but that was quickly flattened when the thought of the tankish warrior crossed her mind.

After all, handling such a simple animalistic creature required little skill.

But would she ever have the talent to fight the warrior that had bested her own mother?

A few feet away Kiadio drew his gun and show a blast of energy that tossed Xander back and broke his concentration, allowing the binds around Lucius to break.

"Thanks for the help," The Purple Ranger said, and broke into a dash "Now to catch up with my soldiers."

"Not on my watch!" Astrid yelled. She knocked the worm monster back and tried to catch up to the speeding Ranger.

If she couldn't beat the one she wanted, she could still do _something_ to send a message to the Praetor.

With the enemy only inches away Astrid pulled her sword back and jabbed it forward.

Where it was instantly deflected by his shield as he whipped back.

"You'll have to try harder to stop me," he muttered and knocked her back with a swing of his sword.

Sparks flew from Astrid's armor as she rolled across the ground. She grit her teeth as dirt flew around her, and new anger was growing in her chest.

Getting bested once was enough, but dealing with the bitterness of defeat a second time in a row would be unbearable.

She couldn't let herself get tossed around by everyone that crossed her path. She couldn't let herself fall down the path of a half baked warrior seeking revenge and only getting a handful of dirt.

She had to surpass all of her greatest fears.

With her weapon firmly in hand, she picked herself up and leaped towards the purple armored Ranger.

"Didn't we just play this game?" He asked as he raised his sword to parry her.

But this time her sword was engrossed in pink colored energy. The two blades connected, as wisps of pink energy escaped her blade and sailed through the air.

Astrid felt her blade rendered immobile by the unstoppable force in front of her. But she didn't stop pushing; because pushing forward was the only thing she had left.

The wisps transformed into tendrils, streamers of pink energy flying past her body.

Yet still, the purple ranger kept his ground.

Then Astrid thought back the shame on her mother's face that fateful day at the market, and she thought about how her mother had persevered through the shame and every other negative emotion attached to her old life.

Pink energy completely surrounded her, enveloping her in its rosy hue. At that moment everything was swallowed by light, and Astrid felt nothing but static.

She allowed the emptiness around her to fill her, allowing it to sink deep inside of her stomach, and she began to let it fuel her. She grabbed hold of oblivion and found strength.

Because having the strength to fight when you have nothing to lose is truly strength incarnate.

When the light finally combusted, and reality returned to the Pink Ranger's world, the Purple Ranger was flying backward as sparks poured from his chest.

With the purple knight temporarily out of commission, Pink dashed past him.

Hopefully, Nick still had the strength to fight by the time she arrived.

* * *

Jace awoke with a shake and fell to the ground with a hard thud.

His eyes shot around as his brain tried to escape the fog.

"You've been out for a while," A voice said from the doorway. "Maybe you should've listened to the people more experienced than you. Like the people trying to keep you alive."

Jace offered a scowl to his mom. Mostly to hide the fact she was right.

"I used to have nightmares about this," she said in a soft voice. "That the Morphing Grid would scoop you up just like your father."

Jace sat up, feeling a faint remanent of exhaustion under his skin.

"I was terrified of the day you became a Ranger," her face fell as the familiar fear caught her. "What if you weren't ready?" She paused and closed her eyes. "But I realized that _I'd _never be ready for that day to come." She looked at Jace and extended her hand, where a morpher sat in her grip. "I just have to trust that you know you're ready."

Jace sat in silence, looking hard at his mother as he tried to find something to say.

"Don't worry," his mom said. "We can take my car."

"Take it where?"

"Briarwood," She said darkly. "There's a battle going down and I'm sure they could use a Red Ranger."

Jace smiled and stood up. He then strapped the morpher to his wrist and turned towards the door.

That was when he stopped the sweatshirt on the doorknob.

He frowned as his stomach dropped.

"Nevermind," he said to her as she tied her shoes. "I'll get my own ride."

"What do you-" she called before being cut off by the slamming of the front door.

He didn't know where he was running, but the sudden urge to move completely overwhelmed him. His feet hit the asphalt of the road in front of him and he still had no idea what he was doing.

Then the white stinger flew inches away from his face.

Jace jumped to the side as he caught sight of the figure clad in black leather armor.

"I was wondering where you went," Jace said as he snapped into a defensive stance.

"I was just laying low," Scorpio replied, "waiting for the perfect moment."

"For what?"

"Your Energem. The Praetor still needs them."

"Well, he's not going to get them as easily as he might think," Jace said and armed his morpher.

"I've defeated countless Rangers at this point," Scorpio said. "What makes you think you're any different?" He then went for another jab of his stinger but Jace again dodged.

"Don't know," Jace said and loaded the statue into the morpher just as Astrid and Rylan had. "But we can find out together."

The freshly morphed Red Ranger swung his sword down.

Scorpio caught the sword with his stringer, wrapping around it like a tentacle and ripped it Jace's hand.

The sword clanked uselessly against the ground as Scorpio tossed it aside before going in for another jab of his stinger.

Thankfully that was just was Jace had anticipated and moved just in time for the stinger to miss and get lodged into the tree behind him.

"I started to realize something was up when they found the discarded morpher at Rootcore," Jace explained. "But thanks to your inability to change I see what's up now."

Scorpio seethed with anger as he tried to free himself.

"You don't actually fight," Jace said triumphantly, "You just pull every cheap trick until you win." He then smiled and took a stance. "But you're not the only one who knows how to cheese a victory." With that, he developed a spin kick to Scorpio's face that sent his body free from the tree and tumbling across the ground.

Scorpio just wiped the blood from his mouth and laughed. "Do you _really_ think I'd get this far on trickery alone?" With a fast blink, his eyes shifted and turned a venomous yellow. "Maybe it's time I show you my true form, an experience few walk away from."

His skin then paled to the color of paper, and thick purple veins ran down his face.

In a few moments of intense horror, the man's entire face and body shifted. His nose melted into his face and his teeth became razor sharp covered by thin ruby red lips.

The creature, now a terrifying combination of scorpion and human extended its claws and ranked them against Jace while he was still stunned from the transformation.

Jace stumbled back, the pain of the swipe burning his chest.

The pain was minimal but still distracting.

Distracting enough to prevent Jace from seeing the stinger coming for him.

"The first time we did this I wasn't prepared for your armor," Scorpio said smugly. "I don't make mistakes twice."

Jace was starting to realize the truth of that statement. Especially when considering the teeth grinding pain that spread from his shoulder.

Where the poison leaked from Scorpio's stinger.

The feeling was almost instantaneous, the burning numbness that weakened every muscle in his body.

"What was that about trickery?" Scorpio asked and kicked Jace to the ground. He then stood over the Red Ranger and pressed his boot into Jace's chest. "It doesn't matter _how_ someone wins, just as long as they do. There's no point being honorable and dead."

Jace hardly even felt the assault, not with the encompassing pain firing through his nerves. But the look on Scorpio's face was sickening to him. The pure sadistic joy of causing him pain.

Suddenly Scorpio was flanked by blaster fire. And Jace knew it wasn't himself.

Scorpio whipped around with an annoyed expression and locked eyes with Hayley Oliver.

"That definitely takes some guts," Scorpio said. "Especially when you're such a tiny woman."

"I'd be careful who you belittle," Jace's mom said. "Especially before you see what they're capable of."

She then flicked a switch on her blue colored blaster and unloaded a dozen shots in extreme succession.

But despite covering Scorpio in a flurry of energy and sparks he remained virtually unaffected.

"Mom get the hell out of here!" Jace exclaimed as he forced himself into a hunched crotch.

"Mom?" Scorpio asked. "How sweet."

To Jace's horror, Scorpio's stinger flew towards his ill-prepared mother and wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Just beating you to death would make this whole thing feel a bit stale," Scorpio said, "So let's spice it up." The white stinger tightened against Hayley's neck. "Give me your Energem or I'll snap your mother's head off."

* * *

"Oh… guys?" Rylan asked as the death worm's head flew past his helmet. "A little help?"

"We're a little preoccupied," Kira said as she dodged the metal blade of the red armored bounty hunter.

"Oh yeah… totally cool," Rylan said as he parried a tentacle with his sword. "I'll manage."

"You clearly haven't been a Ranger very long," The Green Mystic Ranger said and swung his staff in ax mode into the bounty hunter's side. "Because you don't ask for help against the monster while we fight a general."

The death worm bit one of its head into Blue's shoulder and he screamed out as he jabbed into its neck with his sword. Blood flew from its body as it wailed an animalistic scream.

"You don't have to be so rude about it," Kira said.

"Sorry,' Xander said. "Guess I'm just a bit stressed. It's been a while since I've been on the ringer."

Rylan turned back towards the charging monster, it seemed like this was something he'd have to face alone.

Hopefully, he'd succeed…

* * *

The tankish knight kicked the lifeless body of the Snow Price away from him as he continued his march and an entire magic village burned to the ground around him.

"This is where it ends!" The Red Mystic Ranger proclaimed.

"Nothing can stop the Praetor," The blue-faced warrior replied, "But you're welcome to try."

"Well see about that," Nick said and in a flash of fire and flames, he summoned his Dragon Fire mode.

His wings extended and Nick flew towards the enemy with his red club engrossed in flames.

The two were locked in mid-battle when Astrid arrived.

The Red Ranger was dancing around the enemy, getting several cheap hits in but nothing fatal.

"You may display impressive magic," The enemy said, "But magic means nothing to the Praetor." The enemy then revealed a tiny red stone. The stone began to glow with an intense light right as the Dragon Fire Ranger charged forward, his body lost in the inferno.

But when they connected the stone began to glow even brighter, and Nick's form disappeared completely.

"A philosopher stone," The massive warrior grunted. "Able to negate any magic. Very useful around these parts."

Astrid gripped her sword tight in her hand, she knew what happened last time she'd fought him, but she'd just have to make this time different.

But before she could move towards her enemy the world around the froze. The ash that fell like snow hung as if decoration and the smoke grew static like a painting across the sky.

And the Mystic Mother appeared.

"There's no need to continue the destruction," She said sternly. "I'm here."

"Get away from him," Nick called, "He has a philosopher stone!"

"I know what he has," The Mystic Mother said, "But I can't let this destruction continue."

The enemy warrior smiled and drew the philosopher stone.

The Mystic Mother fell to the ground as her hair changed from white to brown.

She then turned towards Astrid, "I'm sorry I didn't give myself up sooner… I was afraid. But I have to trust that others will continue past my sacrifice, and Bandora will come home."

"The Praetor will be thrilled by your selflessness,", The tank warrior said and teleported away.

There was little time to process the events that just transpired because the ground started to violently shake.

* * *

"Yeah fine," Jace said as his morphed form gave away in a flash of light, "Whatever."

He then grabbed his Energem and stood up.

"Don't do this," his mom said, "Don't worry about me! Run away and get help."

"Sorry mom," Jace muttered and he rose weakly to his feet. "But when do I ever listen to you?"

The venom hurt worse after demorphing, it engrossed his entire existence, and as he struggled to move towards Scorpio his vision began to fade in and out. He might even have been blacking out.

Scorpio made no effort towards Jace, instead, he watched in silence as the young boy used every ounce of strength just to walk.

"You might want to speed things up," Scorpio said, "If I get too bored I might just snap her neck for some cheap amusement." He smiled as his tail tightened enough for Hayley to gain a red color in her face.

"B-bastard…" Jace muttered.

"What was that?" Scorpio said with a flash of anger, "My father was a proud Titan. One of the greatest warriors in the galaxy!"

"I didn't mean it like that," Jace said with a smirk, "But if the shoe fits."

"Fine." Scorpio spat, "If you want to insult my heritage I'll bury yours in the dirt."

Scorpio raised Hayley higher into the air, her face turning a horrifying purple and her eyes bulging with panic.

Then the blast of energy sailed past Jace and punched Scorpio in the face.

The scorpion warrior fell backward, the smell of cooked flesh drifting into the warm dry air.

The warrior gripped his damaged face with a clawed hand and teleported away.

"Sorry it took me so long," Trox said with a large rifle in his hands, "I was looking for something that looked dangerous enough to work."

"I didn't know you had that in you," Jace said, feeling relieved but still in incredible pain.

"I come from a planet with no warriors, but we aren't cowards," Trox said and moved towards Jace.

Jace didn't know if it was his flicker conscious or what, but he swore he could feel the ground shaking…

* * *

The death worm came towards him again, and he tried to use his sword to deflect the assault.

But then the creature grabbed the sword with his maw, while the other mouths watched him hungrily.

"Welp… I had a good run," Rylan muttered, "Except for the part where I kinda didn't do anything."

The creature snapped at him, but he managed to move just in time.

"Who knows, maybe my heroic sacrifice will earn me some respect."

His back hit the wall of a building, and the massive worm creature was closing in on him.

So he closed his eyes and hoped it would be quick.

But after a few moments, he started to get a bit confused.

He slowly opened his eyes, and much to his surprise he found the death worm laying dead on the ground.

"What the hell?" He muttered as he cautiously examined the body. Strangely he found a small kunai sticking out of its back. He wiggled the knife out and noticed a black sludge substance he originally figured was its blood.

But then he noticed its real blood mixed in and leaking from the wound.

He examined the knife further and noticed a rose insignia engraved in its handle.

"I figured you'd find a way to kill it," The red bounty hunter muttered. "Thankfully I have a backup plan." He knocked both veteran rangers away with his sword and then threw a syringe into the dead death worm that instantly drained a blue fluid into its body.

Kiadio disappeared into a teleportation beam as the death worm began to convulse like a fish kicked to dry land.

The worm snapped back alive, but that wasn't the most worrying part. Instead, it was that the creature was growing.

"Oh I _hate _when they do that," Kira muttered as they all ran from the massive creature.

"What that hell are we going to do now?" Rylan asked, "That thing is HUGE!"

"We'll think of something," Kira said as the ground shook under the massive force of the creature, "Hopefully before we're all dead."

And it definitely seemed like they'd be dead soon, at least that's what Rylan figured.

The massive death worm, now fully sized, seemed to remember exactly who it had been after before meeting its mysterious fate because it turned its house sized mouth towards Rylan and prepared to swallow him whole.

But as it charged something blocked its path.

Rylan couldn't believe what he was seeing, as the massive sword held the creature at bay.

"No better timing," Xander said as he admitted the giant blue triceratops with the sword horn. "Your eggs are hatched and ready."

"Are you serious? The eggs were tiny compared to this! But I'm not complaining."

Behind the triceratops came a pink ankylosaurus that rammed its head into the death worm and knocked it to the ground.

Of course, that was defeated when the massive Tyrannosaurus-Rex appeared. The robotic dinosaur roaded at the death worm and unleashed a volley of bullets from its back-mounted cannon that obliterated the worm in a fiery explosion.

The T-Rex then dashed away from sight, leaving only the blue and pink machines left.

"Welp," Kira said, "Meet your partner in crime, your very own Zord."

The Triceratops Zord lowered its head as if to show respect to its new master.

But Rylan was looking out to the distance and wondering where the Red T-Red Zord had gone.

* * *

"Well thankfully his poison wasn't fatal," Jace muttered from the chair in his living room.

"Well here's the thing," Xander said, "I didn't want to scare you but it totally was."

"Excuse me?" Hayley asked the bruise around her neck seemed painful, but not as painful as the look that flashed across her face.

"Whatever he pumped into you was extremely potent. I'm not even sure if my magic would have helped," he admitted.

"Why aren't I dead then?"

Xander shrugged, "I guess you're just a sturdy guy."

"Well if he's as sturdy as his head's thick then I guess that explains it," Kira said with a smile.

"Shut up," Jace muttered, "Don't you have a tour or something?"

"Nope," Kira said, "Not anymore."

"What?" Jace asked.

"I can't just leave you newbies to fend for yourselves, and until your dad decides to come back I guess I'm your guide. Or mentor or whatever."

"Great…" Jace muttered and closed his eyes, "Just what I need, another person to cramp my style."

* * *

Trox opened the door and Astrid immediately jumped.

"I'm sorry," He said with a red face, "Is this a bad time?"

"No," She said and turned towards the blue-haired boy, "I was just finishing something up."

Trox looked down at the mess of wires attached to the small box. The box used intergalactic standard plugs but it had some shoddy adaptations to work with the outlet in her temporary room at the Oliver residence.

"Is that a galactic signal transmitter?"

"Yeah," She admitted, "I was hoping I could use it to get ahold of my dad and see if he's safe."

"Well you aren't going to find anything but static set on such a high frequency," Trox said and sat down next to her, "Do you even know the standard?"

Astrid just blushed and turned away, "It's not like I have an instruction booklet, this thing is older than me."

Trox fiddled with a knob and then stopped.

"Hmmm… still nothing…" He muttered, "Maybe there's something in the atmosphere messing it up."

Astrid shrugged, "That's alright." She then stood up, "Hayley usually has dinner done around now. Might as well see what's up."

"Yeah," Trox said, "Hopefully she made some of those onion circles."

Not more than several seconds after the two shut Astrid's door behind them the small speakers came to life.

"_This is Zhane of the planet KO-35. I did my best to keep the Crimson Raiders off Xybria… but I failed. The Praetor now has the Five-Core… I'm sorry. But we can't give up hope. We have to keep fighting, no matter how bad things get. _

_Somewhere in the universe, there's hope… we just have to hold on."_

**_A/N: Thank you to everyone who's submitted an OC, I greatly look forward to discussing things further with those who have submitted :) _**

**-Shadowhenshin**


	6. Chapter 6

Lucius knew something was wrong when he hadn't heard from the Praetor in a week.

He tried to use the time carefully, training whenever possible, but it seemed like he spent most of the day just pacing around.

He was alone in his room, trying and failing to meditate.

He closed his eyes but he couldn't escape the gnawing in his stomach.

When Kiaido arrived Lucius was actually excited.

"The Praetor ordered for you to head to the armory," Kiaido said.

Lucius nodded slowly. He really didn't understand why he'd be sent there after a week of silence.

There wasn't time to worry about such things at the moment, because whatever the Praetor demanded would be final.

Plus in the end, he was happy to get an order at all.

After about a week of radio silence from Nick, the Mystic Ranger called everyone back to Rootcore for another meeting.

Everyone could see the stress and grief pulled across Nick's face. He was dressed in dirty basketball shorts and a strained v-neck. But despite the fact it looked like he hasn't slept in days there was a tiny bit of life in his eyes.

"It turns out my mom was close to finding out where the Praetor is bringing the kidnapped Rangers," Nick explained. "And after consulting her notes and every magic book in the library I've been able to finish what she started."

"So don't keep us hanging," Kira said. " Where are they?"

"That's the tricky part," Nick said. "From what I can tell they're in a completely different universe. One cut off from the morphing grid entirely."

"So how are we supposed to get there?" Astrid asked.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out," Nick said. "Even with teleportation, the magic barrier between the universes is too thick. But that got me looking into a shortcut." Nick then opened up the book next to him on the table. "There are ancient doors, constructed by the Morphing Masters millenniums ago, that allow people to move between universes."

"But what's the catch?" Jace asked.

"I don't know where it is," Nick admitted.

"I guess that makes sense," Rylan said. "I assume they don't pass that kind of info out to just anyone."

"But I'm not all out of steam yet," Nick said. "I found a mention of an ancient warrior who took interest in the doors, but the last known location of his work was the Thunder Ninja Academy.

"Hold up a second…" Jace said. "Ninja Academy? Like a school that teaches you how to be a ninja?"

"I would say it's more of an ancient establishment that passes down it's secret knowledge to the elite few," Nick said.

"Well, that sounds even more awesome." Jace said, "Sign me up!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Xander said, "The school is extremely isolated, you can't just stroll in and enroll."

"Plus," Nick added, "We don't know where it is."

"That's true," Kira chimed in, "But I know where the Wind Ninja Academy is and I have a friend there who could point us in the right direction."

"Sounds like a plan," Jace said. "Let's head out."

"Not so fast," Kira said, "Your mom said she needs you back home."

"Can't that wait a second?" Jace asked, "I think a ninja road trip seems a little more important."

"We can handle that," Kira said and gestured towards Astrid and Rylan, "But you've got your own mission."

"Why? What's so important?" Jace asked.

"I shouldn't have to explain that to you," Kira said, "You should just trust me and everyone else who's been doing this way longer."

"Whatever," Jace said and stood up, "I'll just get out of your hair now."

"How are you going to get back to Angel Grove?" Kira asked.

"I'll take the bus," He spat and promptly exited Rootcore.

The armory was a rather bleak part of the Praetor's ship, a musty area in its underbelly where little traffic was held between the areas.

Lucius had actually never ventured this low into the ship. Usually, things created by The Smith were brought up by one of the Praetor's robotic soldiers.

Kiadio had mentioned something about The Smith not being incredibly keen on organic lifeforms.

The lights above him became dimmer and dimmer, as the dust around him grew staler. He shivered, the feeling was similar to that of entering a tomb. The desolate isolation, and the ever-present fear of entering a place where any living being shouldn't dare.

The hallway ended, leaving only a closed metal door in his path.

A door that opened into a completely dark room.

Lucius took a breath and entered inside. The room was incredibly hot and stuffy; there was so much heat that he wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if they were right above the engine.

"I apologize for the inhospitable condition," A voice said from the darkness. "Guessing by the shape of your spine you grew up on a planet with a gravity 14% higher than preferred by humans… Mirinoi?"

"Yeah… that's right," Lucius said into the blackness.

"Good. Then you should be used to the heat."

Suddenly Lucius was greeted by one of the most unnerving sights.

Two red eyes.

"Let me adjust the lights to better accommodate your primitive eyes."

In a near blinding flash of light, Lucius was met with a nightmarish looking automation sitting in the corner of the room. It set its caterpillar tracked feet onto the ground and its knees extended the machine up. Its eyes examined him through their strange yellow casing that surrounded its metal head.

"It's nice to meet you," The machine said and extended its thin, three-clawed hand. "I'm Alpha-1, but I believe most aboard this ship refer to me as The Smith."

Lucius took the robot's hand, and it quickly snapped away and back to its bench. "Where was I?" The machine asked, "Oh that's right… I'm supposed to give you this."

Alpha-1 shuffled around some stuff on his desk. "I hope you realize how difficult it was to recreate this. The sheer amount of research I had to do. And I _hate _dealing with magic. It's all too _hypothetical_ for my liking. But if it's what the Praetor wants."

The strange machine extended the curved sword towards Lucius and he immediately could feel it's power.

"This is the Sword of Darkness," Alpha-1 explained. "A very powerful tool capable of amplifying the user's connection to the darkest parts of the Morphing Grid." The robot gave him a hard stare. "It's important you don't succumb to your inner darkness. Because if you lose yourself, you take the risk of being gone forever."

Lucius nodded and stared hard at the blade a few moments before taking it into his hands.

It hit like a tidal wave, covering his entire essence in the dark energy. He felt his will fade and the desire to give in growing stronger by the second.

But he held on.

"Very good," Alpha-1 said. "Determination like yours is invaluable. You remind me of a young warrior I met many years ago. Hopefully, you'll succeed more than that fool ever did."

In truth, Lucius couldn't even hear Alpha-1 at this point. He was far too overwhelmed to hear anything at all.

"There is another thing," Alpha-1 said, "The Praetor told me to send you over to our newest recruit,"

The mention of the Praetor brought him back to reality.

"She's out of the Chamber, and awaiting you."

Lucius shook away his drifting thoughts and nodded. He needed to keep his cool.

He'd just been granted a second chance in the form of a powerful gift, he didn't want to give the impression he couldn't handle it.

* * *

Jace threw open the front door and stepped into the house.

"So what's more important than a ninja school?!" He yelled before he took his shoes off.

"What was that?" Hayley asked as she stepped into the living room. She instantly frowned at her son. "Okay, why do you have such a pouty expression?"

"Why did you send me back here?"

"Because I have something for you to do," She said plainly.

"Can't it wait?" He asked, "There's a freaking ninja school!"

"Don't raise your voice at me," She snapped, "And while you're at it just be quiet so I can explain."

Jace lowered his head threw himself down on the couch.

"During the battle at Briarwood, the Power Eggs hatched," Hayley explained.

"Yeah, I know that," Jace snapped, "Rylan won't shut up about how he's been training his Zord like it's the dog his dad never got him."

"Well don't you think it's weird that Rylan and Astrid's Zords stayed while yours ran off?"

"I don't know," Jace said, "Maybe it didn't like me. Hell, maybe it's _like _me."

Hayley just rolled her eyes at her son.

"The point is we have a skyscraper-sized robot running around on its own and we have no idea where it went."

"So what are we going to do? Go on some kind of Zord safari?"

"Your Energem and your Zord have the exact same energy signature, so we'll just track it from that," She explained.

"Alright, where is it then?"

"Well this is where it gets tricky," She said. "The Zords are only detectable when they're active, and the Zord hasn't been active in a while. So we're going to have to search a couple of different areas that have minute amounts of energy and hope we find it."

"How hard can it be to find a giant robot dinosaur?"

"If your dad was here he'd be rolling on the ground," Hayley muttered under her breath.

* * *

The first thing Lucius noticed about her chamber was that it was noticeably larger than his own

She sat at the edge of her bed in the corner, the lights dim and substituted by candles.

"I take it you're Lucius," the girl said. "I'm Bandora, but most people call be Bandi."

"Alright…" Lucius said. He tried to look into her brown eyes, but every time he did his chest was flooded with emotion and he'd have to look away.

"The Praetor told me to shadow you for today, and assist you in your objective," As she stood up Lucius noticed that while she was clad in a blue jacket and a yellow undershirt the Crimson Raider insignia rested over the left side of her chest.

"Alright," He repeated, trying not to let the anger boil past his stomach. But it was hard, if not impossible.

Especially because it had taken him several months to officially join the Raiders.

"The Praetor spoke highly of you," she said as they headed down the hall. "He said that when

he found you on Mironoi you were a sheltered coward."

Lucius felt a flash of anger. Why had the Praetor spoken of such an embarrassing time?

"But now you're one of his strongest generals."

Lucius exhaled, the last bit softened the blow. But still… why not focus on the triumph?

The two continued down towards the armory, where one of the Praetor's automations held out staff for Bandora.

Bandora took it carefully, it was an interesting looking tool, with a triangular tip and what appeared to be curved bone over the top.

"So why did spend so long in the Chamber?" Lucius asked. "The Praetor only kept me for two days."

"It took him two days to fully show me the light," she explained, then a smile formed on her thin lips, "But it took him the rest of the time to show me his magic."

Lucius was almost completely dumbfounded. Never in his time as a Crimson Raider had the Praetor shown anyone his magic.

* * *

"Why is this the first place we're looking?" Jace asked his mom as they moved across the desert sand. "If it was here we'd have seen it miles ago."

"I'm more interested in _why _its energy signature was here," Hayley said.

"That's even weirder," Jace said, "What's so special about the wasteland outside of town?" While Jace was sliding his feet dramatically his shoe caught something and he suddenly fell face first. "What the hell was that?"

"Some sort of metal I believe," Trox said; who had came, much to Jace's annoyance, simply because it involved the Energem.

Jace then looked more closely at the ground and realized there was rubble all around him.

"What the hell is all of this?"

"Used to be the Power Chamber from what your dad told me," Hayley said. "Back when he was just a punk teen listening to Zordon."

"Zordon?" Trox asked as his eyes lit up.

"Naturally," Hayley said boastfully. "You don't become the Legendary Tommy Oliver without a legendary mentor."

"Jace Oliver, fancy seeing you here," A voice said from the south.

Jace frowned when he turned and saw Lucius mugging at him.

"As fancy as a black tank top at a wedding," Jace replied back.

"I've been hoping we'd cross paths again."

"Well here I am," Jace said and raised his morpher. "Who's your new friend though?"

"Bandi!" She said with a smile and a wave.

"Bandi?" Hayley asked. "Like Bandora?"

The girl nodded.

"What are you doing with them?" Hayley asked as her mom's voice started to break free. "Your mom's last words before she sacrificed her power to the Praetor was for us to save you."

A shocked expression spread over her face but melted away with a shake of her head. "My mother doesn't understand the importance of our mission." She said, "The Praetor is our only hope."

"Yeah sure," Jace said, "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"We didn't come here to play," Lucius said, "But I think I can spare a few moments. If anything just to shut you up."

In a flash of purple light, the armored Ranger came charging towards the freshly morphed Red Ranger.

"My friend Astrid says your not as tough as you pretend to be," Jace said. "Remember her? The blonde hottie that kicked your ass?"

"Jace!" His mother snapped.

"What?" Jace asked with a shrug, "It's just friendly banter between rival-"

Jace was interrupted by the enemy's shield hitting his chest and knocking him back. While tumbling back the purple ranger raised his sword and swung down.

But Jace managed to parry with his own blade at the last moment. Then using a trick from Nick he knocked Lucius's sword from his hand and swung into his opponent's chest.

The armored Ranger sighed and tossed his weapon aside. "I was hoping I could win by skill alone," Lucius muttered. "But it seems I'll have to put my master's gift to work."

In a flash of purple fire, a new sword materialized in his hand.

Hayley took one look at the sword and her face instantly paled. "Watch out!"

Jace took a defensive stance with his sword diagonally across his body. "It's just a flashy trick and a fancy sword."

The Purple Ranger just stood silently, a purple aura glowing across his body.

He swung his new blade down, but Jace was ready.

But he wasn't ready for it slice his own sword in half.

Jace looked down in disbelief and tried to jump back but Lucius had already moved in and slashed into Jace's chest.

Lucius swung again, and again, pulling more and more sparks from Jace's armor.

"You think you can just show up and spoil all of the respect I've worked so hard on getting?" The Armored Knight spat.

Jace fell to the ground as his morphed form faded away. The knight pressed his foot against the young man's back.

"Not only am I going to return to the Praetor victorious but I'll also bring him your Energem as well."

He pressed harder into Jace, forcing enough pressure to make his ribcage scream.

He might have shattered it, if not for the distraction of the sparks flying off his back.

He whipped around, where Trox stood with Lucius's original sword in his hand.

"Do you have some kind of death wish?" Lucius asked the blue-haired boy.

"I'd die before I let the Energem fall into the wrong hands," his eyes caught Jace on the ground. "Or at least worse hands then they're already in."

Lucius pulled his blade back and perfected the angle to stab right through Trox's midsection.

But he was frozen by a mysterious force.

He turned towards the source, a low growl escaping his helmet.

"There won't be any innocent deaths," Bandora stated.

"Stay out of this," Lucius said. "You don't know what you're doing."

"I know the Praetor's will," She said. "Something you've clearly forgotten."

Lucius stood silently, impatiently, and angrily.

"Besides," she added holding a large bronze disk in her hand. "I found it."

Jace looked up at the purple warrior and he could _feel_ the bloodlust from behind the visor. Gone was the warrior who had spared them for their inexperience. And in his place stood someone who would sacrifice anything to achieve their end goal.

In a flash they were both gone, leaving nothing but a wounded Ranger laying in the ruin.

* * *

Back with Kira, Rylan, and Astrid, the setting sun was beating down after a long day of hiking.

"So... the ninja school," Rylan said as they moved upstream and across the rocks. "Where is it."

"We're getting there," Kira muttered for at least the third time that trip. "Almost there actually."

"Well, why don't we see it?"

"If Nick couldn't locate it with his magic I imagine it's pretty well hidden," Astrid replied.

"Plus ninjas," Kira said with a smirk.

The path ended at a large waterfall, its roar filled that air around them and splashed water all around the trio.

"Alright," Rylan said and wiped the water off his face. "Now what?"

"Now we jump," Kira said with a smirk.

"Where?" Rylan asked. Then his face fell. "Oh no," He muttered, "Please not that."

"Come on," Astrid said, "I don't think Kira would ask us to do anything dangerous."

Rylan just tapped his morpher.

"Anything out of her control."

Rylan just sighed and slipped off his shoes before stepping into the ice-cold water that rose to his calves.

But before he could take a single step towards the rushing water something escaped its current.

"Oh come on," Rylan muttered as the six figures landed in front of him. "You couldn't have come before I got my feet wet?"

The creatures didn't seem to care, not that their twisted faces could express much emotion. The being was completely blue, except for the pale emotionless excuse for a face they wore on their heads.

The first of them leaped for Rylan but Kira opened her mouth and a sonic wave of energy pierced through the air and knocked the creature back.

"Sorry," she said after noticing the way Rylan grabbed his ears. "But also you should probably fight."

"Right," Rylan said and tried to mimic the type of stance he'd see Jace do.

One of the blue creatures jumped again and the Blue Ranger swung his fist.

Only for it to hit the enemy's chest and bounce off.

The creature continued towards Rylan, moving in an erratic almost childish way.

Until it was blasted back by Astrid.

"You know what," she muttered, "Let's just morph."

"Good idea," Rylan said and raised his arm.

"It's morphin time!" They called as their armor formed around them.

The two Rangers armed their swords while Kira took a step back and observed.

Rylan took a deep breath. _I got this_, he thought as they approached.

_Maybe not!_ His brain screamed as another rushed him.

The Blue Ranger covered his visor and jabbed his sword forward. Much to his surprise, the sword actually connected with the creature and sparks flew from its chest as it was knocked backward.

"Good start," Kira called, "Keep going."

The next one came and Blue jumped back, the creature gave out a shrill laugh and swung its hand and knocked Rylan's sword out of his hand.

Astrid scuffed and stabbed the creature through the chest, instantly turning it into gray sludge. She then kicked the next creature in its head and scooped his sword off the ground and tossed it back.

"It helps if you actually use it."

"Yeah," He said, "You're probably right."

Rylan closed his eyes and fought the panic, fought the embarrassment and compulsion to call it quits.

He swung his sword at the enemy and it recoiled while shooting sparks.

"How was that?" He asked and turned towards Kira.

Only to get snatched by two of the creatures while he was distracted.

The creatures tugged from each direction, causing his joints to scream as they threatened to pop out of their sockets. This would normally be the part where Jace would hop out of the shadows and save him. But with a sharp pang, Rylan realized Jace wouldn't arrive.

And panic really began to set in.

The growing claustrophobia was suddenly interrupted by a streak of blue light that flew past the enemies and turned them into mush.

A woman clad in black ninja gear appeared in front of the Rangers. Her eyes narrowed as she readied her katana and made quick work of the other creatures before turning towards the Rangers.

Her sword flew towards Rylan, but Astrid moved in and caught it.

"Wait a second…" The ninja warrior said. "Kira?"

"In the flesh," Kira said with a smile. "I hoped you'd show up."

The girl pulled down her hood and her blonde hair fell to her shoulders.

"Guys," Kira said, "Meet Tori, Blue Ninja Storm Ranger."

She bowed to the Rangers, "I assume these are your pupil?" She asked.

"You could say that," Kira said.

"Well I'd give some extra lessons to the one in blue," She said with a faint smile. "He's making the color look bad."

"So what was up with those freaks?" Kira asked.

"They're all over the academy," Tori said, "We have to temporarily change locations, "We couldn't handle it, especially since I'm the only Ranger left."

"The Praetor?" Kira asked.

Tori nodded, "But he's not even our biggest concern. Not with all these freaks running around." She looked towards the waterfall then back to the Rangers. "But we can talk about all of that later after we get somewhere a little safer."

* * *

She watched from afar as Rylan, Astrid, and Kira were led by the Wind Ninja Sensei. She didn't know exactly where they were going, but she knew it wouldn't be good.

She wanted him to stop. He was getting far too close, and she didn't know what would happen if he made it to the Thunder Ninja Academy.

In the end, she knew she was helpless but to watch. She couldn't risk everything by blowing her cover.

She'd just have to trust fate and hope that the universe was on Rylan's side.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay but here is the next chapter of the story. The blue creatures are taken from the ****Dorodoro of Kakuranger and I'm only mentioning this to foreshadow some other stuff that'll happen later ;)**

**-Shadowhenshin**


	7. Chapter 7

"Nice base," Kira said, leaning on a dusty dirt bike. "Real bouji."

"We had to move fast," Tori replied. "And this was the only place big enough."

Rylan looked around the warehouse, where a couple dozen students, not much older than him, all crowded around in various clicks. It reminded him of a high school camping trip mixed with a shanty village.

Tori sat at a table pressed up against the wall with a whiteboard hung up. To Rylan's surprise, she was the only adult outside of Kira.

"Thank the heavens you guys showed up," Tori said. "We've been like this for a week. The Dorodoros are too thick for me to handle by myself and with everyone else gone…"

"It's okay," Kira said and put her hand on Tori's shoulder. "I know how stressful things are right now. I still haven't been able to get a hold of Conner or Ethan."

"What about Tommy?" Tori asked with a look of intense fear.

"He left a note on my fridge saying he had an important mission so who knows what that means," Kira replied.

"When everything goes to hell Tommy Oliver drops off the face of the Earth," Tori said, "Just our luck."

"So the Wind Ninja Academy is overrun," Kira said before the tension could settle. "What about the Thunder Academy?"

Tori shook her head, "That's where they all came from. I tried to get a hold of Hunter or Blake but either the Praetor got them or whatever the hell caused all of this."

"So where does that put us?" Astrid asked Kira.

"Tori needs to stop those blue freaks, and we need that research. I think we can work something out."

* * *

Scorpio watched from a distance, carefully waiting for the perfect time to advance. And then he saw her, walking up from delivering the disk to The Smith below the ship. Scorpio smiled as he approached her.

"Hey," He said, "You did well on your first mission."

"Thanks," She said with a smile.

"I think the way you spared that boy was also exceptionally good," He said, swallowing bile. "You're definitely working in the Praetor's best interest."

"It's good to hear that," She beamed.

"Oh absolutely," Scorpio said, "In fact, you're doing so well you're on your way to being the Praetor's favorite."

"You think so?"

"I know so," He said with a smile, "Soon you'll even surpass Lucius in our ranks."

Scorpio patted Bandora on the shoulder and walked off, but he kept his eyes locked on the figure that had been watching from a distance.

Lucius with a wonderful scowl across his face.

* * *

"For a Red Ranger you really lose a lot," Trox said in Jace's living room.

"Shut up," Jace muttered with ice on his back.

"That wasn't meant to be an insult," Trox said. " you're just an anomaly."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Red Rangers are historically the strongest and the bravest. The last ones to fall on the battlefield."

"And?"

"I just don't understand why it chose you."

Suddenly Jace was smothered by his anger. "What are you trying to say?" Jace asked as he shot up. "Are you trying to say _you'd _make a better Red Ranger?"

"Maybe I wouldn't have to keep saving you if I was."

"That's it," Jace muttered. "I'm out."

Without another word, only a soft grunt as he swallowed his pain, Jace barged out the door and slammed it behind him.

* * *

The full moon hung overhead outside the warehouse at Blue Bay Harbor, casting the city in silver light.

Rylan DeSantos looked up at the sky and sighed, his chest filled to up to his neck with dread.

"You wanna talk about what's bothering you? Or do you just wanna sulk for a bit?" A voice asked from behind Rylan.

He turned and saw Tori looking back at him.

"They say my dad was the second Red Ranger, so shouldn't it be in my blood or something?"

"What are you talking about?" Tori said, "Wait… your dad is Rocky?"

"Yeah," Rylan said, "You know him?"

"We've met before," Tori said, "He seemed nice. But he was in blue for a bit of that."

"He was a Blue Ranger too?"

Tori laughed and shook her head, "You're not well informed I take it."

"Well Dad didn't even mention being a Ranger," Rylan said, "So, you'll have to bear with me a bit."

"Your mom know either?"

"She's dead," Rylan explained.

"Oh… yikes. Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Rylan said, "Never met her."

"That's not what's eating you up," Tori said. "So what's up."

"Why am I such a coward?"

"I don't think that's something someone else can answer," Tori said and sat down next to him.

"I feel like a failure," Rylan muttered, "And I just want to quit. But I know that's just my nature. Every time things get hard I start looking for the exit."

"You don't sound happy about that."

"Of course I'm not!" Rylan said and threw his hands in the air. "It just makes me feel worse."

"Then don't run away next time," Tori said. She then unsheathed her katana. "Plant your feet on the ground, grab your sword with both hands, and swing like your family is watching from the stands."

Rylan nodded but did so frowning, "It's not that simple though."

"No it isn't," Tori said, "But it's the first step. And if you're serious about wanting to stand on your own feet then you'll find yourself at the second step before you even know it."

* * *

Jace found himself at the south side of Angel Grove, a rather unpleasant place that had seen the foot of a few to many Megazords. What had risen from the ashes was a plethora of low-income apartments and a rather nasty reputation.

He stood outside of one of the said apartments, the streetlight above being the only light.

He slammed his fist against the door like an elderly neighbor pounding on the ceiling and waited for a response.

After a few seconds, he heard some swearing from the other end before a loud clunk as it was unlocked. A rather sunken face with scraggly facial hair met Jace as he cracked open the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, "Trying to wake the entire building?"

"I figured a cop knock would be the best way to make sure you listened," Jace said with a smirk.

"Piss off, Oliver." The man muttered and opened the door.

Jace stepped inside and was greeted by the earthy waft of marijuana and the stink of stale beer.

"Sorry about the mess," The man muttered, "I had a chick over last night and we partied a little too hard."

"I know you're lying so stop before I cringe," Jace said.

"So why are you here?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just need a joint or two," Jace said with a ten-dollar bill in his hand.

"Sorry 'bout ya," The man muttered, "But I'm dry."

"No way."

The man nodded, "Funds were a little low this week so I couldn't run-up to a dispensary."

"Yeah but I know you Phill, you always have some."

He smiled wryly, "You're right, but you also know that I won't just let _anyone_ dip into my personal stash."

"What do you want?"

"Something I don't think you can help me with," Phill replied.

"Try me."

"Alright," The man said, "But you'll have to keep this one uber low-key." The man then rushed towards his massive computer tower in the corner of his studio apartment and opened up a tab on the fourth monitor. "There's a special shipment of _something _being delivered by a few thugs trying to play with the big boys."

"What's _something_?" Jace asked.

"I don't know," The man replied, "I've been decrypting what messages I can find, but I have a hunch it's something alien."

The man looked at Jace like he expected him to laugh, and honestly last time they met he probably would have.

But things were a little different now.

"You don't think I can do it?"

"Not if you're trying to avoid coming back swiss cheese," Phill said.

Jace just flashed a smug expression. "Slide me the addy and give me an hour."

* * *

Lucius swung his new blade into the heavily armored training robot.

And merely scowled as it was torn in half.

He was swimming in a hollow gut feeling. And the only thing that gave him motivation was the faint burn of anger.

He could feel himself slipping from the Praetor's grace every passing day. He needed to do something big, something that'll prove his value.

Not only had Bandora gotten the Alpha program disk but she had also made a complete fool of him.

_You're on your way to being the Praetor's favorite._

The words bounced around his head like an angry bee.

If either of them were there at that moment-

"You look a pretty energized."

Lucius didn't think twice before lunging forward.

"Woah chief," Scorpio said, holding the sword back with his stinger. "Cool down."

Jace took a deep breath and felt the aggression melt off his body.

He looked at his hands in disbelief and then shook his head.

"That's better," Scorpio said, "The puppy dog look fits you."

"What do you want?" Lucius asked.

"The Praetor offered me a top-secret mission," Scorpio said, then turned his smirk into an exaggerated yawn, "But I'm _far_ too whipped."

Lucius looked hard at Scorpio, the large white bandage across the left side of his face almost made him believe the assassin.

Almost…

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"I'm trying to offer you my mission," Scorpio said. "I can get some rest and you can get some brownie points with the Praetor."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. He didn't know what the Scorpio was scheming, but he also knew that was exactly what he needed.

"Tell me what I need to do."

* * *

In fourth grade Jace's class had a visitor from the police station come and give a small lecture.

_"If there's one thing I know," _The officer said in a loud voice. "_Nothing good happens after 3 a.m."_

It was at half-past four, at Angel Grove's sketchiest alleyway, that Jace realized the truth in that.

He sat in the shadows away from the flickering streetlight, carefully observing the two men standing outside the moving truck smoking cigarettes.

"I wonder what they want with something like this," one of the men said to the other.

"Who knows," the other replied. "They could be selling it to some eccentric weirdo."

Jace stiffened up and listened a tiny bit harder.

"I don't know how much I trust this dude," The first guy said. "I mean who goes running around calling themselves The Dragon. That's pretty sketch if you ask me."

"No kidding," The other guy agreed, "But at least they hooked us up."

"Yeah, I'd like to see someone try to step up on us now."

"Looks like you're in luck," Jace said as he approached the two men, "I'm right here."

"Who the hell are you?" The first man barked, a bald man dressed in a stained polo.

"I'm here to get what you're delivering," He replied with a smirk.

"You don't look like the kind of freak that works for The Witch," The other guy said, a scraggly man with a large scar on his face, as he leaned towards Jace.

"I didn't say I was with them," Jace said and punched the scraggly man in the nose. He fell back as blood poured down his face.

And his friend didn't seem to like that at all.

"I'll give you one chance to apologize," The bald man barked.

"Or what?"

He raised his hand and revealed a strange round device on his wrist with a tiny black gem in its center.

Jace didn't know what that thing could do, but he didn't want to give them the chance. So he quickly kicked the man back and sent his body sliding across the asphalt.

The scrawny man seemed to forget about his bleeding nose and instead pressed the yellow gem on his device and the street was temporarily flooded with light.

Jace looked at the man and immediately knew something fishy was going own because he was covered in shiny yellow armor. The armor seemed to almost mirror that of a Power Ranger, only being more armored and synthetic, with a wide visor transparent enough to see the man's smiling face.

Jace was completely unprepared as the man pulled his hand back and swung into his chest.

It made what Scorpio did to his ribs feel like a light tap.

Still, he found himself standing, if not completely winded.

The suits seemed to enhance the user's strength, but not nearly as much as a Ranger suit.

A wave of pain washed over himself and he fell back against the truck, as the pounding in his ears synched up with the armored thug's footsteps.

"Hey now," The bald man said, "Save some for me," And he touched his gem.

Jace leaned back, but then the words of Trox echoed through his mind.

"Your suits are pretty cute," Jace muttered, "Who'd you brown nose to get them?"

"I've had enough of you," The black-armored thug said and swung his fist towards Jace's head.

But the boy had dodged as the hand flew above him punched through the metal of the semi.

While the man tried to free his hand his friend rushed towards Jace.

Jace knew the Energem boosted his abilities, but he also knew that the suits the men wore outclassed him by a bit, so a head-on brawl wouldn't bode well.

The man swung his fists fairly competently, giving Jace the impression he had a handful of street fights under his belt.

"Who sent you?" The yellow thug asked as Jace danced around his advances.

"Myself."

"Bullshit!" The man spat, "Who was it? The Scorpion Cartell?"

"If that helps you sleep at night."

"Somebody has to be paying you. Why else would a kid like you just pop up and start a fight?"

"Maybe I'm just bored," Jace said and kicked the thug in the chest, knocking him off balance and sending him to the ground. Jace then jumped over his body where the other thug had just freed himself went right for Jace.

Jace dodged another tackle and reached the truck again. This time he grabbed the hole and used it to pull the back of the truck open enough for him to slide inside.

He paused as the hot air of the semi filled his lungs. What the hell was he going to do from there?

Then he caught sight of their cargo, it's green hue illuminated the area around him.

Somewhere, deep inside his core, Jace knew it was calling for him.

His feet pulled him forward, towards the back of the trailer, where the large green crystal sat.

Waiting.

As he inched closer he could feel its power growing stronger, its aura was as thick as lightning, a physical radiation that hit Jace's skin.

And almost made his mouth water.

His hand moved towards the crystal and the feeling almost completely consumed him.

But with a final push, he fully extended his hand.

And met its warm surface.

Something so powerful washed over him that for a moment he thought he was dying.

"_I knew you'd eventually find me."_

Jace whipped around and lost his breath.

Because he was staring right at the figure from his nightmares.

_"Fate is a mysterious cycle_," the man, who Jace realized was a White Power Ranger explained. _"As unpredictable as it is everything becomes clear in hindsight. Because in some way we've been here before."_

Jace blinked and the figure was gone, allowing him to see who stood at the end of the trailer.

"The last couple of times it was cute," Jace muttered, "But I'm getting really tired of seeing your face."

"I'm not here for you," Lucius said. "I just want the Green Chaos Crystal."

"That's what that thing is?" Jace asked, "I thought it was a Halloween decoration."

Jace took a defensive stance as Lucius morphed.

After what happened last time they fought Jace knew he'd have to handle the fight carefully. His red armor enveloped his form as the Purple Ranger approached.

But then Jace looked at the remnants of his sword and sighed.

Maybe it was better to run.

The Red Ranger slid past the knight and out the door, where he came upon the two thugs demorphed and unconscious.

He then scooped up their bootleg morphers and slid them into his pocket.

One to shut Phill up and one for his mom to check out.

* * *

Lucius walked down the hall, feeling more refreshed and energized then he had in weeks.

Not only was the green chaos crystal safely with the Praetor but the Red Ranger had run away in fear!

But as he walked down the hall towards his room he felt a strong hand grab his shoulder.

He looked back and saw the blue frowning face of Colossus, the massive general.

His grip tightened, and Jace would have been lying if he said he wasn't resisting the urge to scream.

"I don't know who tipped you off about the Green Chaos Crystal," Colossus whispered. "But we were trying very hard to keep it out of the Praetor's hands."

"But wait…" Lucius muttered but paused, his interaction with Scorpio hanging in the back of his mind.

"It doesn't matter anyway," the tank spat. "The crystal was already drained of its energy by the time you brought it here."

Lucius gulped hard.

"I'd watch out if I were you," the knight said. "The new girl, Bandora, has already secured another victory with the help of Scorpio. If you continue to fail and waste the Praetor's time you might find yourself replaced."

Lucius whipped around, pulling himself from Colossus's grip as he rushed away.

Once Lucius was alone he slammed his fist against the wall and screamed.


	8. Chapter 8

With the morning sun painted across the Ninja Master's face, she led the three others through the forest.

"My sensei used to say these woods were haunted," Tori said.

"Oh man," Rylan muttered, "Why'd you have to say that?"

"What's wrong?" Kira asked, "Getting nervous?"

"Of course I am," Rylan said, "I can smell foreshadowing a mile away..."

"It's just a story," Tori said, "There was a battle here over a decade ago, even before I became a Ranger. A stray group of ninja, independent from any of the schools, had their final battle between these trees. I don't know why my Sensei spun those tales, but I don't think it was superstition."

Rylan nodded respectfully, but he couldn't shake the feeling of danger.

He took another step forward, rustling some long grass against his shoes. A figure then sprang from the shadows and tackled him to the ground.

"I told myself I wouldn't interfere," The woman snapped, "But you almost blew your leg off!"

Rylan looked over to where his shoe prints ended, and the thin piece of wire in front of them.

Rylan looked back at the woman, she was clad in ninja gear similar to Tori's but the insignia she bore was that of a rose.

The same one that Rylan had seen on the kunai.

Tori drew her sword, but the woman only laughed, "If I wanted you dead you wouldn't be standing there."

"Who are you?" Tori asked.

"Somebody that shouldn't be here," She replied. "But I made a promise to someone very important to me."

"Well what do we have here?" another voice called from beyond the trees.

Another woman appeared, a brunette dressed in blue battle armor.

"Miratrix?" Kira and Tori both asked in unison.

"So you remember me?" She asked with a smile, "That's flattering." Miratrix, a former enemy of the Overdrive Power Rangers was dressed in armor reminiscent of her former master Kamdor. "Aren't you on the wrong side, Sakura?"

The woman rose, creating a barrier between Rylan and the two adversaries. "I suppose I've been silent for too long," She said. "The rest of the Kunoichi have forgotten Ayame's way."

"You think any of that matters to me?" Miratrix asked. "They freed me from that gem, I don't care _what _their plan is."

"Look," Tori said, "I don't know what's going on, but I know when old baddies come back it's time to get serious."

"That's a pretty good point," Kira said and stepped next to Tori.

They both nodded at each other and raised their morphers.

"Dino Thunder, Power Up!"

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!"

The two Rangers stood in front of the new foes, weapons drawn.

The woman who had saved Rylan from the bomb turned back to him and said, " Now that they're distracted you need to leave."

"What do you mean?" He asked. "They're gonna need my help."

"I've seen what you can do," she said, "And you won't be much help."

Rylan lowered his head and sighed.

"Now wait a second," Astrid said and placed her hand on Rylan's shoulder. "You can't just say that to him!"

"I can if I'm trying to keep him alive," She replied, "Miratrix isn't the only relic they've dug up."

"You didn't answer us before," Rylan said. "Who are you? And more importantly, _whose _side are you on?"

"My name's Sakura,", the ninja replied, " And if you're asking why I'm risking my life for you, it's because I promised your mother I'd keep you as far away from this as possible."

"This?" He asked.

Sakura smiled softly. "Your history."

* * *

"This is really something," Hayley Oliver said as she examined the device on the table. "Where did you get it again?"

"I pulled it off a thug," Jace said with an eye roll.

"I don't know why I expected a more in-depth response," She said under her breath. "But still… it's scary that someone is just handing these out."

"What is it exactly?" Jace asked.

"Its something almost like a morpher," His mom explained, "That gem is a conductor of morphing energy. It's a really crude system, but it allows the user to become engrossed in armor _almost _like a Power Ranger. But I have a more immediate question," She said, "Why are you still here?"

Jace smiled weakly, "I'm not even going to bullshit you, Mom. That new sword ol' big mean and purple has scares the piss out of me."

"It's the Sword of Darkness," Hayley said, "or at least a reconstruction of it. Your dad had one during his stunt as Rita's Green Ranger."

"Well it completely toasted my sword," Jace said, putting the whole _Rita's Green Ranger_ bit in the back of his head for later.

"I know," Hayley said, "And I'm working on that I promise."

Jace looked up at the overhead light in his mom's garage workshop. It looked off all of a sudden…

It looked _green_.

"Alright," He said, standing up. "If I get stabbed before it's done I want an apology, or maybe the newest iPhone."

Jace then stumbled into the living room, where the intensity of the light nearly threw him off his feet.

"Are you drunk?" Chelsea asked, hardly even paying attention to him as she watched Youtube on the T.V.

"Something like that," Jace said, trying to cover his eyes from the piercing light.

The _green _light.

Fresh air…

He pushed open the front door and let the air meet his face. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Only to see a sky painted red before blacking out.

* * *

"What exactly is that suppose to mean?" Rylan asked.

"I'd explain if I had time," she muttered, her calculating eyes scanning the area. "But we've got more company."

A blur of motion escaped the trees above and a figure landed right in front of the three of them.

Another woman in ninja gear, but she scowled towards Sakura and spat. "I'm sure Ran would love to know what you're up to."

"I was just trying to escort these harmless kids away from the academy," Sakura said.

"Harmless?" The other ninja asked. "Harmless doesn't come strolling up here with the company of a wind ninja. They came to finish what they started!"

The opposing ninja disappeared in a blur of motion.

But Sakura drew her blade just in time to parry her before Rylan's head could be separated from his shoulders.

"Look at what you've done," Sakura pleaded, "this isn't what Ayame would have wanted."

"Ayame would do whatever it took to ensure survival," the other ninja spat.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura demanded.

"The Destroyer is coming," She said. "And just like the legend, he'll be riding atop a dragon."

"You do realize how insane that sounds don't you?" Sakura said.

"The future belongs to those who prepare, not those who sound the sanest."

"I mean I disagree with her wording," Rylan said, "but she's kinda right."

"I'm bored of all this talking," The ninja said. "So move aside, Sakura."

"I'm sorry," Sakura breathed, "But I can't."

The other ninja sighed, "I guess every tree could use trimming." A necklace that hung from her neck began to glow. There was a flash of light, and a green Ranger-like warrior appeared in her place. Her cat-inspired helmet covered her face, but her emotion was relatively obvious when she drew her sword.

* * *

A few feet away the two veteran Rangers danced around Miratrix's blade.

"So-uh- what brings you back to life?" Kira asked.

"I wasn't killed," The female ninja spat. "Just trapped in a gem then promptly tossed aside."

"I see… still a sore subject," The Yellow Ranger said as she parried the enemy's blade.

"The Kunoichi clan saved me," Miratrix said, "And brought out my latent potential." Miratrix swung her blade down and summoned a wave of fire that knocked Kira back.

Tori then launched a handful of water shuriken that kept the enemy back enough for her to enter the gap between the ninja and the Dino Ranger.

"The Kunoichi?" The Blue Wind Ninja said. "Well, I guess that explains a bit."

"Meaning?" Kira asked.

"Remember the ninja battle I was talking about?" Tori said. "They're the ones that lost. That really should have clicked sooner since there's no other way you'd have picked up fire ninjutsu."

The two Rangers were then blasted by a barrage of fire shuriken.

Miratrix smiled, "If I can't defeat the Rangers who destroyed Kamdor I guess you'll both have to do."

* * *

Hayley was chewing her lip nervously when Jace finally awoke.

His eyes darted around, "What the hell happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure," She replied, her eyes glued to her screen.

"What do you mean?" Jace asked and began and accidentally tugged on one of the wires attached to his arm. "What are these?"

"I'm just trying to make sure you're syncing with your Energem properly," Hayley said, "And it looks like everything is okay."

Her reassuring smile flickered for a moment, and she prayed with everything she had that Jace didn't notice.

Because things weren't exactly okay.

She looked at the screen and tried to make more sense of it. The Energem was outputting normally, but Jace's energy signatures were off.

It wasn't anything dangerous, but it was something she'd have to keep track of.

A beeping took her out of the moment, and her eyes found the pop-up window that appeared on her screen.

"What's wrong?" Jace asked, noticing her frown.

"I found your Zord," Hayley said, "About five minutes before the diagnostic could come back."

"What sped things up?"

"I checked my phone," Hayley said, showing a street view of the red machine stomping down a city street.

"Where is it?"

"Heading towards Judd Beach."

"That's north side," Jace said. "Not even a twenty-minute drive."

"I know," Hayley said, already on her feet. She frowned as she pulled some of the plastic sensors off him. "Just… keep morphing to a minimum."

* * *

The green Ranger-like ninja pulled her blade back to strike down Sakura.

But she was also enveloped in light, and she was transformed into a similar warrior, only pink.

"Well that's a bit unexpected," Rylan said as the two ninjas clashed blades.

The Green Ninja unleashed a volley of flaming shuriken but the Pink Ninja knocked them all aside with a swing of her sword.

"You've been able to ride on the coattails of Ayame for far too long," The Green Ninja spat. "It's time someone knocked you down a peg." The Ninja then expelled a wave of fire from her hands that completely swallowed Sakura.

But when the fire subsided, and the grass now ash was swept up with the wind, the Pink Ninja was gone.

She was instead to the left of the Green warrior, and used the opportunity to slash the enemy's side and pulled sparks from her armor.

"Who do you think we should help?" Rylan asked, looking over to Kira and Tori, who were still mid-battle with Miratrix.

"Why not both," Astrid said, "I'll get Kira, and you can help Sakura."

Rylan nodded and turned towards the two armored Ninja mid duel.

In a flash, his blue armor formed around him and he rushed towards the Pink Ninja.

"What are you doing?" Sakura said, "I didn't just risk everything so you could-"

The Pink Ranger was silenced by a swift slash across her midsection.

Rylan swung back, jabbing the enemy in the stomach. "You couldn't have let her finish?"

"Traitors aren't entitled to words," The Green Ninja said.

"That's a little much," Rylan replied.

The Green Ninja turned towards him and swung her blade down, where it met Rylan's sword sideways.

The power he felt behind her strike was enough to make him a little anxious.

"Why are you guys fighting anyway?" He asked.

"I promised Ayame I'd keep you safe," Sakura breathed.

"Ayame?" Rylan asked, "Last time you said you promised my mom."

"Ayame _is _your mom!" The Pink Ninja said.

Rylan turned towards the Sakura, who must have been staring pretty hard through her cat-like helmet.

Because she didn't see the katana coming.

The sword punched through her armor, escaping through her back.

The Green Ninja laughed and pulled the sword out just as Sakura demorphed and fell to the ground.

"I'd get out of here if I were you," The Green Ninja said to Rylan, "The Dorodoros will be here soon enough to eat whatever is left behind."

With that, she disappeared into the smoke.

"You know," Kira said to the blue armored warrior, "With Kamdor gone you don't have to keep siding with the baddies. You can do something worthwhile with your freedom."

The ninja scowled and summoned a wave of fire that knocked them back."Sorry to cut this short," Miratrix said to the three female Rangers, "But that's also my cue." And her body disappeared into flames.

With both threats gone everyone was left looking at Sakura, who sat bleeding on the ground.

Tori moved in immediately, rushing towards the fallen ninja.

"I don't think you're going to do a lot of good," Sakura said. "It's best you just get out of here before the Dorodoros get here."

"We're going to deal with them eventually," Tori said, "So we might as well stay here and rest."

Tori was pressed down on the wound, trying to stop some of the bleedings, but all she seemed to be doing was getting blood all over herself.

Rylan was staring hard at the woman, both from the shock of what had just happened and the words she had said. "You said my mom was Ayame, but her name was Amy."

"And you don't think those names are suspiciously similar?" Sakura asked. By then her face had started to take on a grey color with sweat around her brow.

"She's dead," Rylan said in a weak voice.

"So is Ayame, she died while giving birth. But I'm sure you already knew that."

Rylan just stared at her.

"She was an outstanding shinobi, and she led our clan through countless victories," Sakura said, grinning slightly. "I know she kept it from your father, kept it from everyone in her new life. It was the only way to keep you safe."

By then Rylan could hear the rustling from ahead, and he could only imagine what drew near.

"After the war, your mom and I talked through letters. One day the envelope seemed a little too heavy." She then reached into the inside the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a key. By then the blue figures could be seen marching through the foliage, getting closer every second. Her grey lips quivered as the words escaped. "The Pak-Rat on the northside of San Angelous, building 3, 480."

Rylan took the key into his hand, unsure as to what he should say.

"She loved you." Sakura breathed, "Don't waste it."

The first Dorodoro rushed forward, Tori easily cut it half.

"We're gonna have to get moving," Kira said, using her Petra Grips to dispatch another Dorodoro.

"What about her?" Rylan asked.

"She already told us what she wanted," Tori said in a reluctant tone.

Rylan looked down at her, turning dirt into bloody mud.

He lowered his head, and in a flash of blue light his armor formed around him.

"I'm sorry," He muttered out loud.

And lifted her up.

"What are you doing?" Astrid asked.

"Taking Sakura's advice," He replied. "And running away."

His feet kicked up dirt as he rushed away from the battlefield.

Sakura's eyes were empty, but not gone. Just blankly staring at the sky above.

It wasn't much, but it was something.

* * *

Jace, Hayley, and Trox all moved out of the car and rushed down the street.

"What the hell is this?" Jace asked as they met the blockade a block from the beach.

"Sorry," The man with a large vest carrying the Silver Guardian logo said, "Whole place is closed. You'll just have to swim somewhere else."

"Since when did the Silver Guardians handle things in Angel Grove?" Hayley asked.

"'Bout the same time a giant T-Rex starting crushing buildings." The man said. He then narrowed his eyes and at the trio. "Look, I don't know if you're some kind of journalists or bloggers but if you're trying to get a look at the new-"

In a swift jab, Hayley leaned forward and stuck something to the man's neck. The small rod made an electric noise and he fell to the ground.

"We only have a few seconds before he comes to," She said and stepped over his body.

"Say no more," Jace said and followed close behind.

Jace was originally going to ask if she was worried about more officers being at the actual scene, but that seemed silly when they found them already unconscious.

At the shoreline, the massive Zord roared and tried to charge towards the ocean, but was stopped by a wall of green-tinted energy.

"Of course one of _them _had to show up," Jace said.

Bandora stood in front of the Zord, her staff raised.

"So, would you mind telling us what you're doing?" Jace asked.

"Us and the beast are after the same thing," Bandora said, "I'm just holding it off for my friend."

"Well how about you just move over and let us handle it," Jace said and took a step forward.

"Remember what I said?" Hayley asked.

Jace sighed and lowered his hand. "We can collect our giant robot and you can go do whatever you need to do," Jace offered, "Or at least until we have to fight you to save the world or whatever."

"Save the world?" Bandora asked and turned towards them. "I think you're misunderstanding the situation. You're the ones advocating oblivion If the Praetor fails the entire multiverse will fall to the darkness."

"Hold up real quick," Jace said. "What are you talking about?"

"The multiverse is nearing its natural demise," Bandora explained. "And without intervention, all of reality will perish."

"Excuse me but how will kidnapping a bunch of people save reality?" Jace asked.

"They're involvement was unfortunate but necessary. Their connection to the Morphing Grid is vital."

"You'll have to excuse me if I still think your plan sounds evil. Because it still totally does." Jace said.

Bandora, "I know it all sounds crazy but if you come with me I can show you."

"Sorry but I'll have to pass on that one chief," Jace said. He then looked up at the trapped Zord.

The light that trapped it.

The _green _light.

She sighed. "I hope you come to see the Praetor's light."

Jace's thin fingers curled into a fist. "Now you're just pissing me off."

Jace could feel something tingling in the back of his neck. A faint pulsing pushed in the back of his skull.

His eyes met the Tyrannosaurus-Rex's, and they pulsed with a green light.

The zord roared hard enough to shake the ground and whipped around with a thunderous stomp. It tilted its head and charged forward, hitting the wall with enough force to shatter it completely.

The force of her magic barrier being destroyed was powerful enough to knock her body back and send her tumbling into the sand.

Jace watched numbly as the building-sized machine rampaged towards him. "Sorry, mom." He said with a smirk as he raised his morpher.


	9. Chapter 9

For the first time in Rylan's life, he was running to save another.

He held on to the woman he'd met moments ago, a stranger from his mother's secret life.

She was slipping away at an alarming rate, so fast he could practically feel her lifeforce fading.

He didn't know where he was going, but he knew there wasn't a lot of time to get there.

They were nearing the end of the woods and the park that stood beside it.

"Stop…" Sakura breathed.

"Are you crazy?" Rylan asked. "Why would I do that?"

"This is the forest we fought our last battle," Sakura explained. "If I have to die I want it to be here."

"Well that's the thing," Rylan said. "I'm not going to let you die."

She smiled softly. "You don't decide that."

The clearing was in sight, only a handful of Ranger sized steps away.

Then the figure descended from the trees.

"Another one?" Rylan asked with a scowl.

This ninja stared at him with uninterested eyes.

"I can see Ayame in you," the ninja said. "A faint glimmer of potential under all that naivety."

"Drop me and run," Sakura said in a raspy whisper. "Don't… Listen… to a word she… says."

Rylan felt her body spasm one last time before going completely limp.

"It's a shame she had to go like this," the ninja said. "Ayame would be rolling in her grave." A bitter expression appeared and melted away in seconds. "But if you're willing to listen to me we can reverse the damage down by those heretics and bring the Kunoichi back from the shadows."

* * *

The Red Ranger watched intently as the massive machine dashed towards him.

Somewhere his mom screamed, but her voice was lost in the pounding of its feet.

Jace closed his eyes, feeling the strange, tingling, power wash over his existence.

The Zord slammed it's tail against the ground, causing an immediate ground shaking explosion of dirt and debris.

Thankfully Jace moved just in time and leaped onto the machine and crawled up it's back.

Pure instinct took over and Jace charged up the T-Rex's spine, all while it thrashed around in every direction.

What he was doing felt crazy, not even something he could have imagined in his dreams.

He reached the top of its head as it roared angrily.

His entire universe shook, but it didn't discourage him. Instead, he closed his eyes again, pulling as much energy from his strange feeling as possible and swung his fist downward.

It connected with the floor that was the Tyrannosaurus's head and a wave of green energy radiated off them both.

The mechanical creature stiffened up and Jace was able to get his footing.

But that was relatively short-lived because the ocean in front of them began to foam and bubble.

A large white head appeared from the water's depth, its red eyes glowing with life as the rest of it emerged.

"Well that wasn't what I expected to see," Jace said as he saw the second robot appear at the scene.

The machine looked cobbled together, with each part of its multicolored body seemed fixed together.

"Ah Typhonis," The tinny voice of Kaidio said through the Zord. "The brainchild of the late Verto. And rather effective fighting machine." The massive machine pulled its hand back and punched the Tyrannosaurus Zord hard enough to launch Jace down to the world below.

* * *

Astrid followed Kira and Tori through the forest. The tension was thick enough to hang off the clothes of everyone around.

"The Thunder Ninja Academy is right ahead," Tori said.

So naturally more Dorodoros appeared.

"Astrid, to the left!" Kira called.

The Pink Ranger turned just in time to slice the blue monster in half.

"Wait," Tori said, "Astrid… is Karone your mom?"

Astrid tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Yeah…"

"Man, that's trippy," Tori said.

"What do you mean?" The Pink Ranger asked.

"I was there when you were born!" Tori said, "That was a weird day."

Astrid swung her blade into one of the blue humanoids and turned to Tori.

"I didn't get to say much to your mom but I heard nothing but good things about her," Tori said.

Astrid just smiled from under her helmet.

"To the left," Tori said.

"What's to the left?" Astrid asked.

"A pond by the look of it," Kira said.

Astrid didn't quite know how to feel when Tori ran towards the water.

"Oh, I see," Kira said followed behind.

"Am I the only one that isn't following?" Astrid asked.

"Just trust Tori," Kira said moments before the Blue Ranger jumped in.

"Alright," Kira said, "My turn." And with that, she followed suit.

Astrid stood alone, the body of water empty.

She didn't want to take the plunge, but her thoughts drifted back to her mom, and every other Ranger that had been taken by the Praetor. She'd gone too far to give up there.

So she closed her eyes and dived in.

The water flowed around her, completely enveloping her form in its icy grip.

Then there was nothing, except for a horrible pain in her neck.

"Headfirst might not have been the best idea," Tori replied.

Astrid opened her eyes and saw nothing but dirt. She stood up and brushed the dust off her suit.

The Pink Ranger scanned the area and found nothing but ruined buildings and carnage.

"I hope you like what we've done with the place," Miratrix said with a smile on her face and a posse of Dorodoros behind her.

The three Rangers all armed their weapons and awaited her strike.

But nothing came.

"Oh, you thought I came here to _fight_?" Miratrix asked. "No. I gave you all your chance to escape. Now you're going to be the audience."

The blue armored ninja turned around and began to walk.

And the three Rangers followed.

* * *

The two Zords brawled across the beach. The T-Rex unleashed a spray of bullets but the Warzord easily brushed them off.

"It's kind of beautiful, isn't it?"

The moment Jace heard that voice his blood began to boil.

He turned towards Scorpio, who was watching the battle with his one exposed eye.

"Two massive war machines duking it out, like Titans of legend."

"Alright Shakespeare, get to the point," Jace replied.

"There isn't a point, just cataclysmic violence, and that's the real amazement."

The black-armored warrior turned towards Hayley and offered a smile. "Good to see you as well, outside of the bruise that is."

That was what made Jace snap.

His hands curled into fists as he stared at the assassin; his body began to glow faintly.

_Green_.

In a flash of movement, Jace was next to Scorpio, he pulled his fist back and connected it with the enemy's bandaged face.

Scorpio flew back and rolled across the ground, but managed to catch himself mid-spin and bounced back to his feet.

"Good hit, and thanks for not hitting my good side."

Scorpio then stabbed his stinger forward.

But Jace caught it with his gloved hand.

"I think it's time you learned a new trick," Jace muttered and squeezed the stinger hard enough for it to make an audible crack.

Scorpio's face twitched but he made a serious attempt at concealing his pain.

"Hey!" Bandora called to the two. "Stop fighting!"

"I don't think you know how this works," Jace muttered. He then tugged Scorpio by his segmented tail and punched him in the stomach as he flew forward. "He poisoned me and tried to kill my mom. Now it's time for some payback."

Jace grabbed his stunned opponent by the neck and lifted him. "Don't you remember that?" Jace asked. "You threatened to rip my mom's head off?" Scorpio let out a rattling squeak. "Maybe I can show you what that would feel like."

"Jace!" His mom called.

He ignored her; completely entranced at the moment. He could see the pain in Scorpio's eyes, the pleading from behind his brown irises.

And he _loved _it.

A purple orb of energy splashed against Jace's shoulder. It did little more than tickle, but it still got his attention.

He frowned and turned towards Bandora, who stood with her staff extended.

"I assumed you were misguided," Bandora said. "But you're just another monster."

She clenched her eyes shut and shot a blast of purple lightning strong enough to knock Jace off his feet.

* * *

The three Rangers were brought to the center of the Thunder Ninja Academy. Where a large alchemic circle pulsed with energy. The circle crackled with energy and a blue Dorodoros appeared in its center before running off.

"As you can see we've successfully made contact with the Spirit World," Miratrix explained.

"That's right," The Ninja at its border said. She dressed in a more armored version of the other ninja's attire, her red hair pulled into a tight ponytail. "And you're about to see us take it a step further." With that said she revealed a small vial.

The crimson liquid glistened in the light.

"This is the blood of our founding leader Ayame Tora, a descendant of the Tora who betrayed the dark spirits and sealed them away," The Ninja explained. "With it, the seal will become even more erased." She then smashed the vial against the ground, sending the blood oozing from the center of the circle.

The circle pulsed with blue light and lightning tore across the sky.

When the lightning dissipated a posse of ten blue-skinned creatures appeared in the circle.

"Alright that's enough," Tori said and readied her sword.

"Wasted breath," The Ninja said. "There's nothing you can do. When the Destroyer arrives to bring reality to its end I'll offer my army to him and the Kunoichi will become his generals."

"That sounds absolutely insane," Kira replied. "Like really, how can you hear those words come out of your mouth and still act like they make sense?"

"What was that?" The Ninja who had stabbed Sakura asked with a scowl. "I'd think twice before insulting Ran like that."

"Quiet Suiren," Ran said. "There's no reason to give in to their taunts. We've already won."

"That's what you think," A voice said from behind the current crowd.

Rylan stepped forward, he stood unmorphed with a stone expression.

"What are you doing?" Astrid asked, feeling a pang of anxiety as the boy approached Ran.

"What my mom can't," Rylan muttered.

"Your mom?" Ran asked, "What is that suppose to mean?"

"You tell me, you knew her a lot better than I did."

Astrid could see the gears turning in Ran's head, but before she could come to any realization another ninja stepped behind Rylan.

"That's right," the ninja said. "Ayame's son walks among us."

"Ayame never bore children," Ran said.

"If that were the case then explain this," the new ninja said with a dastardly smirk.

With a swift swing of her sword, Rylan's back received a deep gash. The young boy fell over, shock plastered on his face.

The ninja laughed and threw him into the circle.

"If you thought a mere vial was enough," the new ninja said. "Just watch."

Rylan's blood seeped down his back and soaked into the glowing ruins. The world around him began to tremble, and the sky was enveloped in a midnight blackness.

But he could only think of Sakura's face.

**A/N: For those who haven't read my previous series Tori is referencing The Long Road to an Old Friend**

**-Shadowhenshin**


	10. Chapter 10

Jace blinked and looked at the sky, it was a swirling mess of darkness and lighting.

He then looked over at Scorpio, who was being aided by Bandora.

He looked at his hand, coated in the villain's purple blood.

Then he looked up at the Zord battle, just as the Warzord punched the T-Rex hard enough to send it crashing with a ground-shaking tremor.

"As much as you want your revenge there are more important things to do," Trox shouted to the Ranger.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Jace muttered. He looked up at the toppled Zord and felt a strange tug in his chest.

The Zord was _calling_ for him.

He closes his eyes and gave in to his instincts and his body disappeared from sight.

He opened his eyes and found himself seated in a cockpit.

He'd done enough Ranger research to know what that meant.

On the battlefield, the T-Rex lifted itself up and roared with a reignited energy.

But Kaidio laughed from within the Warzord.

"Show me your strength, Ranger."

"Definitely planned on it," Jace muttered as his Zord bit down on the enemy's arm and jerked it around.

The Warzord raised its freehand and shot a white energy beam that sent the T-Rex away and shaking off the pain.

"I always wondered why Rangers relied on such barbaric vessels," The Bounty Hunter said. "Clearly I underestimated the raw power of these machines."

Typhonis grabbed the T-Rex by the head and super-plexed it to the ground.

"This machine is a Frankenstein but there's some sort of beautiful symbiotic relationship between Cyclopsis's heart and the raw morphing energy of the Thunder Zords."

"Okay am I the only one that isn't being melodramatic today?" Jace muttered as he steadied the Zord. The machine was alive, and even as he moved the controls he could _feel _it guiding him just as he did to it.

But even the brute strength of his new partner wouldn't be enough to stop the enemy.

Thankfully Jace felt himself being tugged towards a lever to his left.

"Let's see what this does," he said almost gleefully as he pulled it down.

And his Zord began to change.

* * *

Rylan could feel the blood pouring down his back. The sneering pain, the disturbing warmth, all of it overwhelmed his reality as the glow of the portal obscured his view of the rest of the world.

Outside of the circle, Astrid rushed towards Rylan only to be intercepted by the very ninja that had attacked him.

"You can't interfere with the ritual," she said.

"Yuri!" Ran exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It's rather simple," Yuri explained. "Why just open the portal and control some minor demons, when we can take over the planet _before _the Destroyer arrives."

Rylan let out a throat tearing scream as red lightning ripped the sky.

More and more creatures flooded the area, along with other, more twisted and contorted creatures alongside them.

Astrid tightened the grip on her sword, watching as the nightmarish monstrosity entered the world.

"You've blurred the barrier between the dimensions," Ran said. "Now what?"

Yuri turned towards her former master with pure delight in her eyes. "I'm going to do what Ayame was always too afraid to."

She then turned towards the portal and transformed into a pseudo-Ranger similar to the other ninja only orange.

She then stepped inside.

Purple hellish energy wrapped around her and glowing ruins covered her body.

Flying hellish monsters escaped the portal and danced through the air as the two ninjas morphed into their pseudo forms and armed their blades.

"So," Kira said to Tori, "Any ideas as to how we should close the giant hell portal?"

"Well we haven't tried duck tape yet," Tori said with a shrug.

Then the demons were upon them, blue-skinned Dorodoros and hellish monstrosities alike fell upon the Rangers left and right.

But Astrid had her eye on the portal.

The Orange Ninja stepped out of the portal as a pair of wings constructed of thin strands of energy radiated off her back.

And clinging to her ankle was a boy covered in his own blood.

"Get away from me welp," She muttered and kick him aside. "Your task is complete."

But Rylan didn't stop after the first blow, instead, he began to crawl across the dirt back towards her.

"I never met my mom," he breathed. "But I know she'd be disgusted."

"Your mother was nothing but a useless excuse for a warrior," The Orange Ninja said. "She didn't have what it takes to thrive. But don't worry. You'll be seeing her soon enough." With that, she raised her blade.

But as the blade fell Astrid dove forward and intercepted it.

"Get away," Astrid barked to Rylan.

"I can't…" Rylan muttered. "It's my job to stop her."

"Well you can't do it if you're dead," Astrid replied.

"Sorry," Rylan said as he pulled himself up. "I know I mess up and get in the way. But this is my fight," he said as his blue armor reformed. "And I have to see it through."

The Blue Ranger managed a defensive stance with his sword tilted sideways, but Astrid could see his body struggling against it.

"Thank you for getting up," The Orange Ninja said coldly. "Now it'll be way more satisfying when I cut you down." She then threw a wave of purple energy that crashed into his chest.

But despite the wave of sparks he remained standing.

Kira looked towards the Green and Purple Ninja. "Truce?"

"Like we have much of a choice," The Purple Ninja said.

Tori armed her Sonic Fin and turned to Kira. "You ready?"

Kira just nodded. The Blue Ninja Storm Ranger unleashed a blast of sound energy from one side, and Kira Petra Screamed from the other.

The two soundwaves connected and became deafening, with enough of a physical presence to stop the Orange Ninja.

Two of the flying bat-like creatures flew towards them, but the Purple and Green Ninja knocked them out of the air.

"This is pretty much going to be our only chance to do this," The Pink Ranger said, "So we better make it count."

The two armed their swords and charged forward.

But the Orange Ninja knew what was coming, and created a barrier of purple demonic energy that took half of their momentum to penetrate.

The Orange Ninja then looked at Astrid and sent her flying backward with a storm of energy, easily ejecting her from the orb.

Rylan took a deep breath and raised his sword.

"If you inherited one thing from your mom it would be her resilience. I'd been trying to poison her for months before the Thunder Academy broke their truce and tried to obliterate us."

Rylan felt himself surge with raw animalistic emotion as he pushed through the storm.

He swung his sword down, but the Orange Ninja parried with his own blade. The two connected with a wave of purple energy. He screamed as he kept pushing, even as his sword began to crack.

In an explosion of dark energy and jagged metal, his sword exploded. Rylan was also blasted back, tumbling away from the storm and back into the fresh air.

The orb of energy exploded and knocked Kira and Tori away as well.

The Orange Ninja laughed, "Here I was thinking that the Power Rangers were something to take seriously."

Rylan fought his spinning headache a

* * *

nd the intense burn snaking up his back.

"Just surrender," The Orange Ninja said. "With the power of the underworld at my will, the entire planet will bow to me. They will become my soldiers, and we will defeat the Destroyer."

Rylan forced himself to his feet, he could feel his morphed form barely holding on. He then moved towards Astrid's sword and scooped it up.

There was nothing left inside, all of his emotion went into his previous attack.

"Ready to finally meet your mother?" The Orange Ninja asked.

Rylan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The voice of Tori drifted into his mind.

_"Then don't run away next time."_

The Orange Ninja took her first steps, slowly at first but she began to pick up speed.

"_Plant your feet on the ground."_

He stood silently as she rapidly approached.

_"Grab your sword with both hands_."

He raised Astrid's sword.

He could see his reflection in her helmet.

"_And swing like your family is watching from the stands."_

His body suddenly _burned _as a hot, tingling sensation crawled across his body. It enveloped him and suffocated him.

Their blades didn't touch. Instead, they both cut into each other's midsection with a burst of sparks.

Rylan fell forward as his armor shattered to blue mist. The hotness of his bleeding back returned, now met by pain from her last attack.

_It's over… _He thought. _I'm done. _

But when he looked over at the Orange Ninja he saw something different.

Her orange armor was smoking and sparking, with a gash the size of Rylan's sword seeming to be the epicenter.

Rylan looked at Astrid's sword, and the blue flames slowly dissipating.

The Orange Ninja screamed as she fell to her knees.

"The Tora Flames…" The Purple Ninja muttered.

"What does that mean?" Kira asked.

"It means he got lucky," Ran replied. "He channeled his birth-right at the best possible moment. The Tora Flame, the fire that could burn any demon to ash."

The Orange Ninja's armor faded away completely, but things didn't stop there.

Her skin began to smoke and sizzle as well.

"Whatever…" Yuri muttered. "You'll regret this when the Destroyer arrives."

With her final words uttered, she turned to smoke.

"So she's gone," Tori said. "But the portal is still going strong."

"Yeah," Kira said. "How do you suppose we fix that?"

"Only the boy can," Ran spoke. "It's his blood that opened the portal."

Rylan nodded somberly and looked ahead. His whole life he'd wondered about his mom. What her smile looked like in person, what her laugh sounded like, if her eyes really sparkled as his dad had described. These feelings lingered in the back of his mind, almost taunting him.

Here he was, closer to her then he'd ever been.

And he was starting to _feel _something.

She'd done all she could to protect him, even convincing Sakura to trail him in secret. She wanted to keep him safe, no matter what happened to her.

Maybe it was the blood loss, or the adrenaline, or any of the other hundred things messing with him at that moment.

But he swore he could feel her love.

A small aura of blue fire escaped Rylan's body, and he stepped inside the circle.

Rylan's world was reduced to light so intense it. The world was everything and nothing at the same time.

But somewhere in the fog, he heard a voice.

His heart froze.

The words were jumbled and incomprehensible, or maybe in another language entirely.

He _knew _that voice somehow…

He could feel her, through time and space.

Rylan couldn't help but grin as he ignited with the power of his ancestors.

He was a supernova of Tora flame.

The light faded, and the circle of runes turned to dust.

The last two members of the Kuzuki clan looked at one another and ninja streaked away.

"Wait!" Miratrix said and tried to catch up on foot.

With the battlefield cleared and the sky returned to normal the three Rangers went to Rylan's aid.

Kira and Astrid lifted the boy to his feet. His body was drenched in dirt blood and sweat, his face was pale, and his eyes glossy.

But he was smiling.

"Her voice sounded so sweet," He muttered before passing out.

* * *

The T-Rex Zord began to fold and change while Jace sat safely in the cockpit.

The enemy Warzord came charging.

But by then Jace's Zord already had a hand to catch the enemy's fist.

"Well this is surprisingly badass," Jace muttered as his Zord had finished transforming into a humanoid battlezord.

The fortress machine pulled back it's freshly formed fist and slammed it into the enemy's chest.

Sparks and wires flew as the metal was pounded inward. It then tumbled back before steadying itself and swinging back.

But Jace dodged the first attack but wasn't prepared for the beam of red energy to shoot from its eye and blast the robot's head.

His robot stumbled backward as Typhonis sucker-punched the large T-Rex head sticking out of his Zord.

"It takes more than just a suit to master a Zord," The bounty hunter taunted.

"If you consider that cheap trick mastery," Jace muttered as he strangled the controls. He felt a chill go down his spine as the feelings from before returned.

"_Throw it back," _the smooth and familiar voice said from behind Jace.

He didn't have to look to know the White Ranger stood behind him.

"_You know what to do._"

And Jace did.

Typhonis approached to deliver another blow, but Jace closed his eyes and allowed the power from before to flow through him.

His eyes snapped open just as T-Rex head on his Zord opened its mouth and fired a beam of green energy that blew a hole right through Typhonis's chest.

Sparks flew as the Warzord crashed for the final time.

Jace exited the Zord and landed on the ground in front of the fallen machine.

Kaidio exited the hole in the chest with a strange round object in hand. "Thanks for the help," the bounty hunter said. "If you hadn't trashed Typhonis we_'d _had to cut it up ourselves."

Jace then looked at Bandora, who just turned away as they teleported out of sight.

The Red Ranger looked at the clearing sky and sighed. He'd lost himself to the dark feels. He'd nearly killed Scorpio.

And he kind of liked it.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until morning?" Kira asked as they drove through the empty San-Angelos street.

"Yeah," Rylan said. "I need to get it over with."

He looked toward Astrid, who sat peacefully asleep. He wished he could be so at peace.

After they had found the scroll in the Thunder Ninja Acedemy's library Tori took it to see what she could translate from it. She claimed her friend Cam would have no problem, but unfortunately, he was one of the Rangers taken by the Praetor.

Still… they were closer than ever to finding the captured Rangers.

And Rylan was closer than ever as they pulled up to the storage unit.

He stepped out, completely alone.

And he found the lock that kept the garage-style door bolted down. The key fell inside, and he pulled it open.

A single dusty bag sat in the unit.

Rylan held his breath as he stepped closer. He felt so anxious he was weightless, like the proximity of that room became its own dimension.

He stuck his hand in the duffel bag, and his hand curled around the object.

A blue hilted katana.

He could feel something humming from the blade, a sort of morphing energy reacting to his own Energem.

And something else in his spirit as well. The small spark of his family embedded in his soul.

He turned back towards the car. He was beyond exhausted.

And he was ready to go home.

* * *

When Hayley, Jace, and Trox arrived at the Oliver residence they noticed something strange.

The front door was unlocked.

"Stay behind me," Hayley barked.

"Uh excuse you," Jace said. "I'm the badass Red Ranger."

"Yeah, but I've been keeping you safe for the last sixteen years," Hayley replied.

She turned the knob and carefully stepped inside.

She remembered the brief time she held the Zeo powers, that was the only time she really felt safe while being tangled in this Ranger mess.*

But that was long gone, and the heart-stopping anxiety that accompanies being defenseless in these situations had numbed to a faint pulse in her chest.

Still… she wished she had at least had a weapon.

The living room light was on, illuminating the figure sitting in Tommy's recliner.

Clearly, he wanted to be seen, and the passive way he stayed seated showed her that he wasn't there to fight.

"Sorry for my rude first impression," the man said and stood up.

Jace rushed forward and prepared to slug the man in the jaw.

Because his first impression was that the man was Lucius.

But then he paused because while the man did resemble the Purple Ranger, he was at least twenty years older. He also carried a scar over his left eye and wore a black uniform with red trimming and a small red section over the right side.

"I'm just having trouble finding Tommy Oliver, and I figured you might be able to help me."

* * *

Tommy Oliver had just been found and was running for his life.

His legs burned and his spine ached… getting old wasn't quite as relaxing as his parents had led him to believe.

Behind him, the silver masked creatures in their tight black garb chased him down the hallway. They were the Mechaclones, the hive-minded grunts that served the Nectrix Armada. They were an interdimensional nuisance, but not one that Tommy cared to engage.

They merely had what he needed.

He turned sharply down a hallway, where several Mechaclones waited with their blade-shaped blasters.

A blur of red appeared before Tommy and knocked the Mechaclones away.

"Good timing Rocko," Tommy said to as the blur revealed a man in lose red ninja garb.

"No problemo," Rocky said with his thumb up.

The two continued down the hall, nearing their ship.

"I assume you got the door open," Tommy said.

"Yeah," Rocky replied, "And flashy should be close behind."

"Good…" Tommy muttered, "We might need his help."

A massive man in a metal exoskeleton stood in front of the duo. His head was bald, and his face carried a sadistic smile as he raised his giant black ax.

"You foolish pillagers should think twice before insulting us with your presence," The man barked.

"Pillagers?" Rocky asked, "Nah, we're just borrowing some of your data on the Anti-Verse. We figured you had a couple of spies scouting the place out."

"What use could you have for information on the Anti-Verse… unless you're suicidal enough to challenge the Praetor," The man muttered.

"Bingo dude," Rocky said.

"Well it matters not how foolish you are," The man said, "Because you will die today."

He raised his ax and charged.

Just as Tommy raised his own morpher.

In a flash of light, Tommy parried the ax with Saba. He kicked the man in the chest and transformed into Turbo Red to unleash a volley of blaster fire.

The man escaped the cloud of smoke easily and continued his charge.

"Maybe it's time for something a little stronger," Rocky said and raised his own Master Morpher. In his Zeo Blue form, he raised his twin axes and flanked the mechanical man.

"How come some aliens we fight look like they belong to Micheal Bay while guys like this look like they came from Planet-X?" Rocky asked.

Tommy turned to Rocky to reply, but while he was distracted the bald man swung his ax into his chest and flung him into the wall.

The man then turned to Zeo Blue, but he was assaulted by blaster fire that came from behind the Blue Ranger.

"I wish I had one of the Master Morphers," A voice muttered as he approached. "I could use an upgrade."

"Maybe if you had more than one suit," Tommy replied as he collected himself.

The new Ranger jumped forward from the hallway. It was Zhane, the Silver Space Ranger, with his Super Silverizer in sword mode. He swung his blade against the man and scorched his exoskeleton as it began to spark.

The three ran past the stunned warrior as they neared their ship.

"Got the data," Zhane said with the green data card in his hand. "We have his exact coordinates."

"Great," Tommy said. "The sooner we get this done the sooner I can kiss Hayley and tell her I'm sorry."

As they approached the hatch they'd connected their ship to the armored man reappeared. His face was coated with sweat and his eyes bulging with anger.

"I refuse to allow you to make a fool out of me!" The warrior exclaimed.

Tommy quickly morphed into his Dino Black suit and launched a bolt of lightning that hit the man and short-circuited his exoskeleton.

"If I had a dollar for every time he said fool…" Rocky muttered as they opened the hatch and stepped inside their ship.

"Alright," Zhane said as he demorphed and slipped the card into the ship's computer. "This might take a while, but we're on our way."


	11. Chapter 11

"What do you need Tommy for?" Hayley asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't really have a lot of time to explain," the man said. "If you could point me in the right direction of him, or even Kat-"

"Kat?" Hayley's voice took on a darker tone.

"Yeah," The man said. "Even if he's in the middle of the lost galaxy he'll answer for her."

"Oh _yeah?"_

"I'll just go to Reefside and see…" the man said and quickly turned around.

"Tommy doesn't live in Reefside," Hayley said coldly. "He lives in Angel Grove with _me_."

The man looked something like a putty patroller hanging under the Megazord's foot.

"Did you hear something different?" Hayley asked.

"I mean… no… kinda…" the man put his hand to his face. "Oh man."

"What?" She practically demanded. "Who are you?"

"J.J Oliver."

"Oliver?"

The man smiled weakly.

"I've been to a couple of Oliver reunions during my marriage and I've never heard of a J.J," Hayley stated.

"Married?" J.J asked. "Like to Tommy?"

"Yeah. That's what I'm saying."

"This is bad…" J.J said.

"No kidding," Hayley said under her breath before saying louder, "But please explain."

The man sighed, "Like I said, I'm J.J Oliver. Son of Tommy and Kat Oliver. I'm from twenty years in the future, and I'm the Red SPD Ranger." He paused and looked around. "But it looks like things are a little messed up. How about this," He said and raised his hands defensively. "Let's all just go to sleep and we'll try to straighten things out in the morning."

Jace's mom gave him several seconds of tense silence.

But as much as she didn't want to believe him, the look in his eyes was unmistakable.

The same look Tommy often wore.

"Fine," She said, "But it better be good."

* * *

A week had passed since the man from another time arrived. J.J Oliver, son of Tommy and Kat.

Jace swung his fist, and J.J easily dodged.

Jace looked hard at the strange man. His brain thought back to the insane explanation he delivered.

"_Well. the knowledge that Time Force offers us is pretty limited," J.J said. "But it seems like I accidentally entered a divergent timeline."_

"_What does that mean?" Hayley asked._

"_It means that something changed in your timeline and caused it to splinter away from mine." He explained. "Something or _someone _caused enough damage to your timeline for Time Force to isolate it. I shouldn't even be able to be here."_

"_But you are," She observed._

"_Yeah," J.J said, "There was a wormhole, the same one that SPD used to enter the year 2004. My partner and I came to investigate it but we got attacked and they kidnapped her." _

_He lowered his head. "I'm just trying to get her back."_

_Hayley put her hand on his shoulder, "Then we have the same goal."_

"You're getting better," J.J observed. "You weren't bad, to begin with, but I'd wager you haven't practiced in years."

"Yeah," Jace said, "My dad's good at getting too busy."

J.J smiled, "Ain't that the truth."

"What was he like for you?" Jace asked, hardly even able to comprehend they somehow had the same dad, but from different realities.

"Y'know… always up to something important."

"Yeah, more important than his family."

Hayley then stepped outside, "Hate to break up this transdimensional bonding," She said with a sideways smirk, "But I have something I want to show you."

* * *

"I gotta admit," J.J said, "It's pretty cool."

Jace looked down at what sat in his mother's arms. "You don't think it looks… a little silly?"

"Did you think it looked silly when Lucius had one?" His mom asked.

Jace shrugging, still looking at the red blade with the golden dinosaur head as attached to the hilt. "He was usually too busy swinging it."

"Well thankfully he left his," Hayley said, "Because it provided the perfect template."

Jace took the sword, "At least it feels good."

"Why not put it to some use," J.J suggested and drew his badge styled morpher.

Jace grinned. "Hell yeah."

In no time Jace was morphed and swinging his new toy at the Red SPD Ranger.

In response, J.J raised his baton weapon and the two began to spar.

"Your swordsmanship is impressive," J.J said after a few moments.

"Thank Nick Russell for that."

J.J just laughed as Jace came charging.

Their blades met but J.J easily flicked his wrist and tore the weapon from Jace's hand. "Well, I learned from Doggy Cruger."

Jace didn't take the humiliation as a defeat, and instead, he crouched to the ground and tripped J.J. Then while the Ranger was falling Jace kicked his sword into the air and grabbed it, slashing upwards before J.J could even hit the ground.

The Red Ranger spun as sparks flew from his body.

"Oh hey," Kira said as she entered the backyard. "Didn't realize there was a show."

The two stopped and looked at the Yellow Ranger.

J.J demorphed and approached, breathing heavy. "What's the good word?"

"Tori's here, she just finished translating the scroll," Kira explained.

"Great," Jace said, who also demorphed. "What's it say?"

"She said she wanted everyone here first," Kira replied and turned back towards the house.

With a tense silence filling between them everyone turned and went inside.

Xander, Nick, and a depowered Mystic Mother were already there and seated at the round kitchen table. Next to them were Rylan, Astrid, and Trox who all sat by Tori.

Jace, J.J, Kira, and Hayley all remained standing, crowding around the others as Tori began to speak.

"So the good news is that the scholar _had _found a way to locate the Door," Tori said.

"And the bad news?" Jace asked.

"It turns out the Door is on the planet Mirinoi of all places."

"That shouldn't be much of a problem," Hayley said, "After all we've already been there."*

"But does anyone happen to have another spaceship?" Tori asked.

"I could talk to NASADA," Hayley suggest.

"Or we can just take mine," J.J offered. He looked around at the room, "it's a little small though."

"I still have the Megaship," Astrid said. "So that adds a couple of rooms."

"As much as I want to get everyone back," Jace said. "If what Bandora said is true it won't matter who we save. The Praetor is just going to reboot reality."

His words settled over the Rangers in silence.

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't go," Hayley said. "He needs the Rangers, so if we save them we're essentially cutting his power source."

Her words lightened the air almost instantly.

"Plus we're Power Rangers," Xander said, "Saving people is what we do."

"Well if that's settled we can start making preparations," Hayley said. "Everyone get your duckies in a line because the ship sails by sundown."

* * *

Hayley was making some adjustments to Jace's sword when J.J stepped into the room.

The man reminded of Tommy in so many ways it made her feel uneasy.

"That Jace is a real interesting one," J.J said and sat next to Hayley.

"No kidding," Hayley said with a laugh, "But what makes you think that?"

"He's got a lot of your best traits," J.J said, "He's reactive, adaptive, and probably a lot smarter than he lets on. But it seems like he got all of my dad's worst traits. He's rash, hotheaded, and a little self-destructive." J.J sighed, "But you know that's not why I'm worried."

Hayley sighed, "I don't know what's going on with him."

"Well it's certainly _something_," J.J said, "He hit me hard when we were sparring. Like he would have torn me in half if he could."

Hayley frowned, "I noticed something a bit ago. There's a weird energy inside of him. Something outside of his Energem. It's extremely raw and unpredictable. This sword is designed to suppress it, which it was doing… kind of…" She looked at the stop J.J held on his stomach. "It isn't full proof yet."

"This energy," J.J said, "Do you know where it might have come from?"

Hayley frowned as something clicked in the back of her head. Her skin began to crawl as she thought back to that horrible night in 04.

The night when Lord Drakkon had tricked her in the evilest way possible.

"This has to stay between us," Hayley said in a dark tone.

And Jace's mother spilled her greatest secret to her husband's son from another Earth.

* * *

"Come on," Jace said, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

"Do you have to say it like that?" Rylan asked with a frown.

Jace just smiled, "I didn't hear a 'no'."

"Ugh," Rylan muttered, "Fine." He then unsheathed the sword strapped to his back.

"That's pretty sick," Jace admitted, "A lot cooler than mine." he then retrieved his sword from behind the shed. "I guess I should be happy I got a new one at all. Astrid's still stuck with the Skyrim looking one we started with."

"Is there a problem with that?" She asked from the corner of the backyard where she was sitting.

"Not if you don't mind swinging around something so bland," Jace replied.

"Last I checked it didn't matter what the sword looked like," Astrid said, "Just how sharp it is… and the skill of the user."

"Is that a challenge?" Jace asked.

"Only if you want it to be," Astrid said and stood up.

"Oh bet," Jace said.

"Actually…" A voice spoke up, "How about I take her place?"

Everyone's eyes shot towards the source of the voice.

Trox just stood silently.

"Sure," Jace said with a shrug.

"Are you sure about this?" Astrid asked the blue-haired boy.

"He'll be fine," Jace said, "Just some friendly sparring."

Astrid sighed, summoned her sword, and tossed it to Trox.

Jace readied his sword, "You can back down if you're scared though."

"That won't be necessary," Trox said and met stood across from Jace.

The two broke into a light spar, with each of them swinging and parrying.

Jace was surprised, it seemed like Trox had some experience with the weapon.

Still… he was beginning to see the flaws in the boy's technique, and it was only a matter of time before the opportunity would arise.

Jace moved fast, lunging forward to disarm the boy.

But Trox moved just as fast and managed to knock Jace's blade out of his grip.

Jace looked down at his blade in disbelief, then up at Trox, who had a sideways smile across his face.

"I guess those lessons I got from Tori are paying off," Trox said. "I'd suggest getting some yourself. As Red Ranger, you need to be ready for any threat."

"Yeah dude," Rylan said with a half-cocked smile. "You better watch out, he might try to usurp you."

"Shut the hell up!" Jace exclaimed and walked away.

"I was just kidding…" Rylan muttered, "Jeeze…"

* * *

Jace didn't exactly know what caused the avalanche of emotions in his chest.

But he knew what might solve it.

He kept his head low as he moved through the worst streets in Angel Grove.

He supposed he should feel bad for abandoning everyone. But how was he supposed to save the world without getting high first?

He approached Philip's door and noticed something that was a red flag.

It hung slightly open.

Jace stepped carefully inside.

"I know you're home!" Jace yelled into the cluttered apartment. "I can hear that shitty trap music coming from your phone."

But as he wadded past the greasy trash and Redbull cans he began to realize things were wrong.

He found him slumped in his chair.

Which wouldn't be that out of the ordinary, if it weren't for the ghostly color his skin took, and the blood dripping down from his mouth.

Jace moved closer and spotted the hole in Philip's neck.

"Sorry about the casualty. If I would have known he was a friend of yours I'd have done something far more… _violent_."

"Here to get your ass kicked again?" Jace asked as he turned to see Scorpio.

The assassin flashed a momentary look of fear but quickly reposed himself.

"I don't think I have to worry about that anymore," Scorpio said with a grin before charging forward.

Jace wasn't particularly worried, even after Scorpio began to transform.

He'd won last time, even if his memory on the event was a little fuzzy. Plus Scorpio was unarmed.

At least that's what Jace thought until he felt the sharp rush of pain across his side, followed by hot blood.

Jace jumped back in surprise as Scorpio moved in again, this time the yellowish light that leaked from the lamp on the table reflected across Scorpio's arms, and the curved blades attached.

Scorpio struck right as Jace jumped to the ground, the blades cutting into the drywall instead.

He managed to get onto his back by the time Scorpio leaped again, and the boy used a well-timed kick to knock Scorpio away.

Jace reached for his morpher on his wrist, but Scorpio flicked his tail and pulled it from his wrist.

Jace looked down in disbelief, then realized the two seconds he was stunned was all Scorpio needed.

The stinger was coming faster then Jace could ever hope to move, no doubt filled with the poison that nearly did him in last time.

Suddenly the tail was knocked away by a blast of energy.

Scorpio frowned as he turned towards the figure.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jace asked as the figure stepped forward.

"I saw you storm out and I got curious," J.J replied.

Scorpio jumped at the officer from another Earth, but J.J quickly moved to the side and grabbed him by the tail. He then tugged it forward and used it to hold the monster in front of him.

Scorpio growled and teleported away.

"So you were following me the entire time?" Jace asked.

"Yeah pretty much," J.J said, "Good thing too."

"I could have handled him myself," Jace muttered.

"Yeah I bet," J.J said and handed Jace's morpher back to him. "But I didn't come here to save you. I came here to talk."

* * *

Jace didn't understand what compelled him to agree to J.J Oliver, or what brought him to the decision that they should go to the Angel Grove Youth Center.

But there they were, as Spike Skullovitch, current manager of the building, offered them both drinks.

"Jace?" He asked with surprise, "It's been years! How are you doing?"

Jace shrugged, "Same old, same old."

"How's your dad?" Spike asked with a wink that made Jace suspect he knew the secret Jace had only recently discovered.

"Gone. Like always."

"Well I hope he's doing good," Spike said, "I'm sure he is."

"Yeah, whatever," Jace said and took his drink and walked away.

"You didn't have to be so rude," J.J said, "He was just trying to be nice."

"Well he had an annoying way of doing it," Jace muttered and sat down.

"It's surprising to me," J.J said and took a drink. "How you manage to be so negative and unpleasant."

"That's a little rude."

"See you're doing it now," J.J said, "And I bet you're gonna say something snarky instead of thinking about what I'm saying."

Jace opened his mouth, then shut it.

J.J just smiled.

"Look," J.J said after a few moments of silence. "I've dealt with a lot of young Rangers, I even volunteered at the SPD academy for a few years. I know when someone is destined for greatness." He looked Jace hard in the eyes. "You're destined to be a legendary Power Ranger, but you'll never get there if you can't control yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jace asked.

"You can't keep your cool for more than ten seconds," J.J said. "And it causes you to lash out irrationally."

Jace felt his cup begin to warp, he looked down and noticed how hard his fingers clamped it.

He forced them to relax as he set his drink down.

"You're smart," J.J said, "And you have that Oliver instinct. But it won't be enough when everything hits the fan."

Jace was left stunned, staring at J.J as if he'd just pulled a rabbit out of a snapback.

"You've gotta keep your cool," J.J said with a shrug. "It's that simple."

* * *

The eight of them all stood outside of J.J's ship, which was parked in the Oliver's backyard. Hayley stood with Kira as they watched everyone else bring their bags aboard the ship.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" Kira asked.

Hayley nodded, "I had all my excitement years ago. I don't want to be a burden."

Kira nodded, it didn't seem like she believed Hayley.

"Plus," Hayley said carefully, "This way I keep working on a secret project."

Kira just smiled, "Can't wait to see it when we get back."

Soon after Jace and J.J arrived together.

Jace looked at Trox who stood next to Astrid and Rylan for a moment before heading towards the ship.

"Wait," Hayley said to her son.

He paused and glanced back at her.

She expected something rude to come out of his mouth, but he stood silently until she spoke.

"I just wanted to tell you to be safe," She said.

"Thanks, mom," Jace said.

She was taken aback by his tone, not because it sounded overly aggressive or anything, but because of how _quiet _it was.

She took the boy into her arms and held him tightly.

When he was born, she didn't know if she could love him, if she could see him as anything more than a side effect of the tragedy that brought him into the world.

But her suspicions proved wrong, and she was reminded of that as she kissed his forehead.

"If you see your dad before I do make sure you slap him for running off and telling Kira to lie," She whispered in his ear.

The corner of Jace's mouth twitched, "Definitely."

Jace turned around and stepped into the ship.

"I'll watch him," J.J promised.

Hayley smiled at the man. In some ways, she almost wished he was her son. Maybe Jace would have turned out differently if he had an older brother watching out for him.

"He doesn't need watched," Hayley said, "He needs to watch himself."

"We know," Kira added as she turned towards them, "But he can't do that if he's dead."

"Come on guys," Xander said from the entrance of the ship, "The multiverse isn't getting any safer with us standing here."

The two Rangers nodded and turned around, leaving Hayley alone as the engine started to roar.

The group that blasted out of the atmosphere were the best chance anyone had. If they failed everything would fall into oblivion.

Yet she despite that Hayley didn't feel the least bit nervous they'd find a way to come out on top.

* * *

The aura of the Praetor's ship was that of chaos. His robots worked tirelessly, moving things around and preparing for the journey ahead.

The great journey was about to commence.

Kaidio then stepped into Lucius's room, where the young man sat with the Sword of Darkness pumping a million horrid thoughts to his brain.

"Master," Lucius said with a bow. "What brings you here."

"A special order," the bounty hunter said.

"We've both been ordered to head separately to Mirinoi."

"Why?" Lucius exclaimed as raw panic set in.

"The Praetor believes the Rangers are heading there to use an ancient door so they can head to the Praetor's universe and stop us."

Lucius loosened up a little, at least the order made sense and carried an air of importance.

"He must be pretty worried," The bounty hunter continued. "Because he's already sent the Dragon there to meet us."

_The Dragon_, Lucius thought as a smile spread across his face. He might have been losing his foot with the Praetor but this could be his chance to set things right.

* * *

It was coming together nicely, and Alpha-1 was getting more excited than ever before.

The ultimate experiment was almost underway.

Somewhere, in the heart of a dying dimension, a structure was being constructed.

And Alpha-1 was building the key.

Everything had been collected together, all of the raw materialized he needed to realize the Praetor's ambitions.

It was just a matter of putting them together.

So close… so very close.

He'd finally make things right.

The sound of footsteps altered the android to the intruder. His scanners identified the lifeform before they even entered.

"You aren't one I'd expect to visit me," The robot said.

"So you know I have a good reason," Scorpio replied.

"Get it over with," Alpha-1 said.

"I need something that'll give me an edge," Scorpio said with a scowl. "I won't be overpowered again."

"Is that all?" Alpha-1 asked. "Give me a couple of minutes."


	12. Chapter 12

The trip to Mirinoi wasn't very long, nor was it particularly eventful. It seemed like everyone was on their last nerve, and nobody could sleep.

Astrid sat at the pilot's chair, mindlessly watching as space traveled past the window. Her mind was buzzing. She was closer to saving her mom than she ever thought she'd get.

But it didn't feel real somehow, and that bothered her.

Not to mention the blue-faced warrior who would no doubt make an appearance.

"Knock, knock," A voice said, followed by footsteps.

She turned and saw Jace Oliver standing in the room.

"I don't remember saying you could come in."

"I guess I just assumed," He replied and moved further inside. He then sat down in the co-pilot's seat. "Can't sleep either?"

"Is that your business?" She asked, hoping her tone would make him leave.

"Recently I decided I'm going to try not being so standoffish," Jace said, "Maybe you should try it too."

Astrid sighed, "I'm just thinking about everything."

"Hoping it doesn't get worse from here?"

"Yeah…"

Jace smirked, "Me too."

"What do you think?"

Jace shrugged, "It probably will. But we've still got a job to do."

She looked at the boy, he didn't seem nearly as confident as he usually looked.

Instead, he just seemed tired.

"Look," He said, "I'm going to be a bit transparent here. I feel more out of control then I've ever felt in my life. Everything is happening so fast, and I haven't even had time to process the fact that my dad is a Power Ranger. He's been gone since I found out and normally that wouldn't bother me but I'm scared. I've been trying to focus on this whole Ranger thing and it worked out at first, but now everything is just getting to be too much." He sunk in his chair, "I just wish things could go back to being simple."

Astrid thought back to before, not before the disaster, but before she discovered the truth about her mother.

"I can relate to that."

"I hear everyone talk about my dad," Jace said, "All of the older Rangers know him, they all look up to him. In a way it makes me feel like I have to be as good as he is."

"Expectations are a pain," She muttered.

Jace laughed, "Yeah, no kidding."

The way that the light hit his face, mixed with the exhausted expression, it all made his face seem softer. More real.

And, she realized suddenly, _attractive_.

It was different than anything she'd seen before, not like the older boys the girls at the academy would gush over during morning drills. This was an entirely different form of beauty.

One that almost left her panicked.

"Well I'm gonna see if I can get some rest," Jace said and stood up,

"Wait," Astrid said and found herself grabbing his hand. She quickly let go. "Can you just stay? I don't want to be alone."

He shrugged, "Yeah I can do that. I have some Ghost Mane on my phone if you wanna hear that."

* * *

Trox had spent all night building up the courage to finally do it. He stood up, brushed down his blue hair with his hand, and stepped out.

He had the plan perfectly calculated. Every detail worked out, every kink ironed.

He was going to walk into Astrid's room and tell her how he felt about her. It was something he'd planned on doing since their talk forever ago, but he kept putting it off.

But here they were, about to risk their lives to save the multiverse. He wanted to tell her before anything could happen.

The people of Sentai Five were deeply connected to their emotions, and feelings like these were never meant to be withheld.

He remembered the day his brother had found his lifemate. His parents had thrown a celebration that lasted all night.

That had been one of the best nights of his life, and the first time he tried ale.

Even in death, he knew his family would be absolutely thrilled he'd found his lifemate.

Yet when he approached her room he found it empty.

No problem… she was probably just in the control deck. He just headed there.

But as he moved towards the entrance his eyes found something that left him… furious.

Jace Oliver sat across from Astrid, close enough that you couldn't put your hand between them, with a thin wire in both of their ears.

It was more than that though, it was the look they both shared.

It was _wrong_.

He turned around, feeling the tears in his eyes.

And he headed back to his room.

* * *

Rylan was having an equal amount of trouble sleeping. He'd tried to see what Jace was up to, but his room was empty.

So instead he opted to sit in the commons of the ship and examine his sword.

"That's a pretty interesting weapon," a voice said.

Rylan looked up and saw the Energem Guardian looking back at him. His eyes seemed puffy and red.

"You cool dude?"

"Yeah," Trox replied, "I'm just having trouble sleeping if you want me to leave you alone I will."

"It's not that," Rylan said, "I just don't know a whole lot about the sword. It was my mom's but I just got it."

"Well it seems to be made of Ninja Steel," Trox said.

"Ninja Steel," Rylan said, "What does that mean?"

"It means your mom had one hell of a good sword," Trox replied. "It can channel raw morphin energy."

Rylan grinned, "How do you do that?"

Trox shrugged, "Don't know. Our information on it was limited, or at least what we were allowed to see was."

Rylan nodded, "Thanks, it's still cool to know more about it."

"No problem," Trox said and walked off, leaving Rylan once again alone with his thoughts.

He looked down at the sword. His mom had done everything she could to eventually get it into his hands.

He couldn't let her down.

* * *

Eventually, Jace did find himself asleep.

But it didn't do him any good.

He was back there again, in the wasteland, the ruined city.

With the sky completely red.

The man stood before him, the White Ranger he'd seen in his dreams and once in reality.

"The world has been shattered," The man said, "Everything is mine."

Jace tightened his fist. He already had enough things to worry about.

Somehow, for the first time, he found the strength to stand.

"That's new," The Ranger said and turned to Jace. "But no matter. Resistance will get you nowhere."

Jace was filled with anger, his hand balled into a fist. And he threw it.

It connected with the Ranger's helmet and caused it instantly shatter.

The Ranger fell onto his back, and he just laughed.

Jace felt a sickly feeling as he looked down. Then he instantly lost all feeling entirely.

Because the face under the mask was his own.

* * *

Kira awoke rather peacefully as they neared Mirinoi's atmosphere.

She then stepped into the pilot's chamber, where everyone was crowding around the planet while eating some pop-tarts and other snack foods.

"Here, mate," Xander said and tossed Kira a Nutty Bar. "I always come prepared."

"Thanks," She said and tore it open.

She then took a bite and turned to Tori, "Does it look as pretty the second time?"

"Absolutely," The Blue Ranger chimed.

Kira hardly even heard her though, not with the impossibly big green orb in front of them. Growing closer with every passing second.

Sometimes she hated being a Ranger, she resented the years of sleep she's lost, the near unstable level of stress that comes from being the Earth's only defense.

But moments like this, floating through space above an alien planet, these were the moments that made it worth it.

"_This is an emergency broadcast_." A voice abruptly chimed from the ship's speakers. _"Eternity City is under fire! We need all available troops stationed in any immediate villages to reposition to the city."_

Kira frowned, "Can we go anywhere without chaos breaking out?"

"Then we wouldn't need to be there," Xander said with a grin.

"So what's the plan?" Tori asked.

J.J put his face to the microphone. "Astrid, I need you guys to head towards the Door while we help the city."

"_Are you serious?"_ Jace's voice chimed. "_You're trying to take us out of the fight!_"

J.J sighed, "I'm trying to make sure there's someone I can trust if we don't make it back."

There was silence for a few moments before, _"I'm on it,__**" **_Jace chimed.

"Wow," Kira said, "I didn't know you trust them so much."

"I just needed to say something that would make Jace listen," J.J said with a smile that reassured that maybe Tommy's two sons weren't that different.

* * *

"I can't believe they'd sideline us," Jace muttered as they followed the coordinates and headed towards a forest on the outskirts of the city.

"You heard J.J,' Rylan said.

"Yeah, I heard him trying to sideline us!"

"Relax," Astrid muttered. "We're almost there anyway."

The Astro Megaship landed in the soft dirt of the forest.

There were a few seconds of pure silence as the brand new sight washed over Jace.

"Come on guys," Astrid said. "The door is in that cave up ahead."

And they all piled out into the strange world.

"Oh, man…" Rylan muttered. "This is crazy."

"Says the guy who almost got sacrificed to demons," Jace replied.

"You weren't there so you can't bring that up," Rylan said.

"I really like all of the foliage," Trox muttered, "there are too many buildings on Earth."

"Mironoi is getting there," Astrid muttered. "Eternity City has already grown twice it's size in the last two years."

"Well look at that," a voice said from the trees, "Right on time."

Jace tightened his fist as Lucius appeared with the red armored bounty hunter.

As Lucius stepped closer into the light Jace realized how much he looked like J.J.

No time for that though. Not when the armored Ranger transformed and charged forward with the Sword of Darkness."

Jace insta-morphed and parried with his newest sword.

Rylan looked to Astrid, "Looks like we got his buddy."

Astrid rolled her eyes, and insta-morphed. "I hope that new sword makes a difference."

* * *

Jace moved to the right as the sword flew past him.

Lucius swung again and Jace ducked.

"Not gonna lie," Jace said. "You almost got me the last few times." He then swung forward and pulled sparks from the warrior's armor, "But I've got a sword now."

"I'm not too worried," The Purple Ranger said and shield bashed Jace's helmet.

The Red Ranger tumbled backward, his ears ringing…

He tried to readjust his sight, but all he was a world of blurs.

Green blurs.

Jace rushed forward and jabbed his sword forward, hitting Lucius in the chest. Then, while the evil Ranger stumbled back Jace slashed again. This time the flipped and landed on his stomach.

_No, stop_ a voice reminded him, _don't lose your cool_.

Despite his shaking body, Jace felt calm after a moment.

Until Lucius knocked him back with a wave of energy.

_Don't get angry…_

"Where's the brutality that left Scorpio in such a poor state?" Lucius asked.

_Don't do it…_

"Come on," Lucius said, "Show me your strength, show me why the Praetor should fear you. Why you pose a threat to save the multiverse."

"Oh stop with that!" Jace said, "You're just another evil psycho."

"Then why are you the one that leashes out?" Lucius asked. "Why are you the one that strikes _fear_."

"Stop twisting it!" Jace screamed and charged forward.

But Lucius merely punched Jace's red helmet, sending cracks across the visor as he fell onto his butt.

"You're just a punk," Lucius spat. "A brute. You'd rather watch the entire universe fade into obscurity."

Jace was swimming, barely even conscious, like the moment before a blackout.

"Shut up!" Jace screamed and swung his blade downward. His entire body glowed green energy. It surrounded him like an inferno. His blade smashed into Lucius, knocking the Ranger from his armor and sending him to the ground.

"Troy?" A voice called that stopped the boy dead.

At that moment Kaidio moved to extract the Purple Ranger, but when he put his hand on his shoulder Lucius shook it off.

The bounty hunter nodded, "This moment was inevitable," was all the bounty hunter said before teleporting away.

Lucius turned to see a blonde-haired woman dressed in a pink tank top and white jeans.

Lucius looked at her face and he immediately fell. "Mom?"

* * *

Kira and co arrived to find a city overrun by the Praetor`s automations.

The five Rangers looked at each other and nodded.

"Dino Thunder, Power Up!"

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!"

"SPD, Emergency!"

The five veteran Rangers charged into battle

"Anyone think of a reason they're attacking here?" Xander asked. As he tore a few robots apart with his branches.

"I think asking for a reason is a little much," Tori said. As her water shuriken burst through the machines.

"I'm just having a blast working with so many legends," J.J said as he shot through a mob of grunts. "This is definitely going to be a story I tell at the Academy."

Nick was about to speak as he blazed through several different machines.

But he was suddenly knocked back by a ball of flames.

Kira turned just in time for the cloaked figure to rapidly approach with twin blades in hand.

Her Ptyra Blades smashes against the enemy and sent a shockwave of energy.

"So who are you?" Kira asked.

"I am the Dragon," they exclaimed as their blades erupted in flames.

The cloaked figure was then chased by a few snaking vines but she easily burnt them to ash.

Thankfully, Tori was there with some water shrunken to hit the cloaked figure and knock them back.

The figure turned towards Tori and said, "I guess I'll have to get a little more serious." In a flash of fire and raw morphing energy they transformed. A Red Ranger with a cloak that surrounded their helmet and draped across their back.

With the help of the skin-tight armor, Kira could see the figure's feminine figure.

Kira saw the helmet and instantly froze.

"Maria?" She asked, thinking about the Red Ranger from the other reality she met during her first year as a Ranger.

The suit was different, with a mostly red chest lined with silver accents, but the helmet was unmistakable.

The Red Ranger didn't respond, instead of breaking the silence she charged forward.


	13. Chapter 13

Jace, Astrid, Rylan, and Trox were all helpless but to watch the strange reunion taking place.

The woman looked at Lucius blankly for a moment.

And then she started to cry.

Lucius looked back, just as blankly.

Then he started to cry.

The woman then rushed forward and crashed into the boy wielding a sword. And he just dropped it. They embraced, sobbing violently.

"So...uh," Rylan muttered. "What now?"

"I'm not sure…" Astrid replied. "I've never been in a situation where we aren't punching each other."

"Kat!" A voice exclaimed. Jace turned and saw a dark-skinned woman in a yellow shirt.

The woman looked familiar...like a passing figure from his childhood.

"Tanya?" Rylan asked in disbelief.

Tanya turned towards them and her eyes widened. "Oh shit! You aren't who I expected to see here." She then turned to Jace. "I'll bet that's Jace too."

Jace remained silent, nausea ruling his system.

After a few more moments of crying she turned towards Tanya "T-this is Troy."

"Troy?" Tanya asked, even more, surprised. "That's amazing!"

Kat nodded, still sobbing.

Tanya then noticed the morpher strapped to Rylan's wrist. "So you're a Ranger now," she said. "Well good on you. Also good on me, because everyone else is holding off that Dragon guy."

Lucius-or Troy- whoever, perked up at the mention of the Dragon.

He then pulled Kat away, tossing her to the ground.

"Troy!" She screamed. "Wait!"

But the boy didn't stop.

"Looks like he's heading for the city," Tanya said. "Might as well go after him."

Kat nodded and rushed after Lucius.

Tanya turned back to Rylan and the other three.

"I take it you're headed towards the Door," Tanya said.

"I mean… yeah," Astrid spoke up. "But we were told to wait for Kira and the others."

"Well they have their hands full," Tanya said. "And Tommy needs help ASAP if his plan is gonna work."

Jace perked up, "Tommy?"

"That's right," Tanya said. "You're a dad is in trouble... _again."_

"But Kira," Rylan began.

"No offense," Tanya said. "But we don't have time to wait. The Praetor's machine is almost done and who knows what's gonna happen when it is."

The four of them just looked at Tanya for a few moments.

Jace nodded, "Alright then we'll go."

Jace then eyed Trox sternly. "Stay here and report to Kira when she gets here."

"I've already proven I can fight

"Alright," Tanya said and turned towards the mouth of the cave. "Let's go save Tommy's ass."

1***

The battle against the Dragon was going about as well as Kira feared it would.

Everyone was wounded, with scrapes and burn marks littering their suits.

The Dragon, on the other hand, remained untouched, slowly approaching Kira with her twin swords raised.

Kira straightened up, her ptera grips in hand. "Stay strong…" she muttered. "You were a judge on American Idol. If you could put up with Simon for a season you can handle this."

The Dragon swung her swords down and Kira tried to parry with her weapons, but the force ripped them from her hands.

The Dragon then sliced her blade across Kira's midsection, pulling sparks and sending her backward.

Kira landed hard on her back, and the Dragon merely continued forward.

Xander then forced himself up, smoke still rising from his armor as he jumped to Kira'd aid.

However, it took little more than a flick of her wrist to knock him back down as well.

The Dragon seemed unstoppable at the moment, able to beat all of the Rangers with chilling ease.

She moved towards Xander, her swords raised and engrossed in flames.

Thankfully in a blur of color, a certain black-robed figure appeared between.

The Dragon paused for a moment as if confused.

"Even now I'm still picking up your slack," the figure said then raised his Master Morpher and proclaimed.

"Mastodon!" He screamed as he transformed into the Mighty Morphin Black Ranger.

He then swung his ax into The Dragon and knocked her back.

"It was fine when you were all still relatively new but come on!" He said and dodged her counter strike.

"Adam?" Kira asked looking at the newcomer.

"In the flesh," he said and drew his morpher again. "Zeo Ranger 4!" He called and transformed into Zeo Green to throw one of his hatchets at her.

The weapon struck her shoulder and embedded itself in her armor.

She merely pulled it out and dropped it to the ground.

"I was afraid of this," Adam muttered, "I hate this one." He drew the morpher and called, "Shift into Turbo!"

In a flash, he was the Green Turbo Ranger and drew the massive Turbo Thunder Cannon. The weapon roared to life and blasted the Dragon hard enough to knock her several feet away.

The other Rangers regrouped, forming a group centered around Adam.

"Well this is familiar," he remarked, then turned to Nick. "Except you."

"Or me," J.J said.

"Oh hell," he muttered. "You're not Bridge."

He then shrugged and drew his morpher, calling out the phrase that made him the Black Ranger. "Well anyway, let's show her why you don't mess with the Retro Rangers."

* * *

Tanya led them through the stony tunnels that constructed the labyrinth within.

"So that guy," Jace said to Tanya. "Lucius-Troy, whoever. What's his deal?"

Tanya glanced at the Red Ranger from the corner of her eye before saying, "What do you mean?"

"That girl, Kat, she's your friend, AND she's his mom." Jace recollected.

"Yeah," Tanya replied, "And she's Tommy's ex-girlfriend."

Jace instantly stopped walking.

"Wait… _what_?" He asked.

Tanya chuckled. "They were together for a good chunk of high school, but they broke it off a few years before you came into the picture."

Jace never really thought of himself as someone particular observant. Much like his father he got caught up in details and was easily derailed.

But at that moment everything sort of came together in his head.

J.J

Kat.

His dad.

And Lucius…

"So…" Jace said, feeling static and bile both stirring in his gut. "Who is Lucius's dad?"

Tanya looked at Jace silently for a few moments, he could tell she was carefully considering all of her options as to what she could say.

That only furthered his suspicion.

"You caught us," Tanya said suddenly. "The Ranger world's big secret."

Jace felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. Lucius, the dude that fought him every chance he had, the evil Ranger working to reboot all of reality.

Was his brother.

"How?" Jace asked. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Well…" Tanya said. "Not a whole lot of people know. And besides… he's been missing for almost three years. We all kinda expected the worst."

Silence fell as they approached the door. A literal wooden door at the end of the tunnel.

"This is crazy," Rylan muttered.

"You're telling me," Jace replied almost thoughtlessly.

"Life gets crazier," Tanya said and put her hand around the bronze knob. "You just gotta get used to it." With that, she pushed on the impossible door and revealed a darkened forest beyond it.

Jace marveled at the impossibility of everything then just shrugged and followed behind Tanya.

* * *

Tori ducked under the flaming sword and fired a volley of water shuriken point-blank into the Dragon's chest.

That was when J.J flanked her from the side, firing with his twin pistols.

It seemed that Adam's presence revitalized the team, giving them the motivation to continue the fight.

But still, the Dragon merely absorbed everything they threw at her.

"I've heard about you," Adam said. "You've cleared out entire cities for the Praetor."

"Not for that _fool_!" She exclaimed and swung her swords forward. "My only goal is to correct the wrongs of the multiverse." She swung her sword into Adam's chest, throwing him to the ground in a rush of sparks. "To complete my destiny. The Praetor was only a stepping stone."

"Lucius!" She screamed, "I know you're near!"

And Kira watched as the young man appeared. His eyes were red and swollen, giving Kira the impression he'd been crying.

"What did you mean when said the Praetor was a stepping stone?" Lucius asked.

"It means just as I said," the Dragon said. "It's finally time for us to exceed ourselves and become _gods_."

"I still don't understand…" Lucius said and took a step backward.

The Dragon snapped her finger and created a ring of flames that surrounded him.

"It's just as the prophecy said," The Dragon spoke. "It has echoed throughout the universe since life began, drafted into a million languages and hardwired into every sapient species. The Destroyer will arrive atop a Dragon." She turned away from the Rangers she'd been battling moments ago. "It's time for me to deliver you to your destiny."

Kira could see the fear flash across the Purple Ranger's face, and she felt bad for him.

"Hey," Kira called to The Dragon. "Weren't we fighting?"

At that moment another figure appeared, the massive body of Colossus approached The Dragon carrying two massive containers of green liquid.

"Morph-X?" Adam asked.

"That's right," The Dragon said. "The perfect energy source for the next phase of my plan."

"This is crazy!" Lucius said, "If you plan on defying the Praetor he'll kill us all before you even get the chance."

"Not if he's too distracted by a gaggle of Rangers arriving in his dimension," The Dragon said and turned around.

"Troy!" A desperate female voice exclaimed.

And Kat appeared from the foliage.

She rushed towards Lucius but The Dragon summoned a fireball that struck her in the chest. Her clothes sang as she fell to her knees.

"We're leaving before anyone else can interfere," She said.

Colossus nodded and lifted Lucius over his shoulder and they both walked away while everyone rushed to Kat's aid.

* * *

The air felt far too thick for Jace's lungs. Toxic too. Like he'd put his mouth to a coal factory's exhaust pipes. The forest seemed off as well, all slightly too dark. An unnatural shade of green painted the world around them.

Tanya seemed unaffected, strutting forward as if it were nothing. As if this was just a normal day.

"Man," Jace said aloud, "What does being a Ranger for so long do to you?"

"Don't ask," Tanya muttered.

"So you said Tommy's in trouble," Rylan said, "What sort of trouble?"

"Well…" Tanya said, "It's kind of a long story."

"Where has he been this whole time?" Jace asked, "He just disappeared one day."

Tanya laughed softly, "That's just something you'll have to work out with him. Nobody else _really_ knows where he goes."

Jace lowered his head.

"But I do know this," Tanya continued, "He's been investigating the Praetor. He was trying to keep everyone safe while not making it a big deal, but everything got too big." She eyed the four of them. "And since the Grid made a whole new team of Rangers I guess it's a bigger deal than I thought as well."

The quiet world was suddenly filled with the faint static sound of battle.

"I think that's them," Tanya said.

Jace didn't waste any time waiting around. Despite everything, despite the blood on hands, and the weight of the fresh realization of his lost brother, he just really missed his dad.

"Wait up!" Tanya called, but Jace didn't even know how to stop.

Not anymore.

Suddenly Jace found himself nearing a clearing that had a dilapidated factory built in it. There was a flurry of movement, and it took Jace a moment to realize it was a group or Rangers combating another mob of Rangers.

Jace spotted the familiar figure of the White Mighty Morphin Ranger swinging his sword into a Blue Ranger. He morphed himself and immediately jumped into the battle.

He finished off the Ranger that the White Ranger struggled to defeat, and it collapsed to the ground with wires pouring from its torn chest.

Suddenly the Silver Space Ranger turned towards Jace and pointed his weapon.

"Relax," The White Ranger said, the voice nearly sent Jace to the ground. "I think he's on our side."

Jace was suddenly overwhelmed with panic. He didn't imagine he'd ever get here.

His dad had always seemed so far away, completely out of his reach.

Yet there they were, reunited again. And Jace just couldn't find the words to speak.

Suddenly a Pink Ranger with black gloves, and a collection of wires extending from the spot in its neck where a head would typically sit, sprang up and punched him in the stomach.

The White Ranger rushed forward and stabbed the Ranger in the chest, ending its existence with a swift jab.

"T-Thanks…" Jace muttered.

His dad paused and looked at Jace's helmet. "Jace?"

Another Pink Ranger, this one lacking both a head and a right arm, leveled a pistol towards the distracted duo, but Zeo Blue rushed forward and tackled them all to the ground.

The Pink Ranger was dispatched by the Silver Ranger.

And the four others arrived at the battle.

For a moment everyone paused.

Rylan looked towards Zeo Blue.

And Astrid looked towards the Silver Space Ranger.

Both Rangers removed their helmets in a burst of energy.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The platinum-haired Silver Ranger asked.

Zeo Blue then looked at Rylan's wrist and his eyes lit up.

"Sorry for being a bit late," Tanya said. "I picked up a couple of stragglers."

There wasn't time for any more dialog, as the surrounding evil Rangers rushed forward.

Tanya, Rylan, and Astrid each raised their morphers and exclaimed. "It's morphin time!"


	14. Chapter 14

"So uh," Jace began as he dodged a swing from one of the robot Rangers wielding a broken pipe. "Who are these guys?"

"What's left of Drayven's robot army," His dad replied and kicked the machine to the ground.

A few feet over the two Blue Rangers danced around a Mighty Morphin Red robot with black gloves and spiked armor.

"So if you were the second Red Ranger why are you wearing blue?" Rylan asked.

Rocky laughed and looked towards his son. "Well as much as I like the Red Ranger clout, this suit is way more powerful." Then to demonstrate he punched a hole right through the robot's chest.

Beside them, Astrid and Zhane made quick work of the robots around them.

"So pink huh?" Zhane asked as he shot down another robot. "I was hoping for something more flashy."

"What? Like silver?" She asked and cut open the chest of one of the androids.

He laughed, "Gold would work too."

After a few more quick jabs and some blaster fire the robots were all taken care of, their wires and metallic bits littering the entire area.

"Alright," Jace said, "What's next?"

"You guys storm the factory and free all of the Rangers inside," Tommy said and slung Saba over his shoulder and turned away.

"What about you guys?" Jace asked.

"We're going to find the Praetor, and we're going to show him what happens when you mess with the Power Rangers."

"Hold up," Jace said, "That sounds a lot like you're trying to ditch us."

"I'm not," Tommy replied, "We're strategically splitting up. Somebody needs to save all of the captured Rangers, and somebody's gotta take care of the Praetor."

"Kira and the others will be here to save the others," Jace said, "We can help you instead."

"Jace..." Tommy began and stopped for a moment. "I said no."

"You don't think we can have your back," Jace stated.

"You're too inexperienced," Tommy replied a bit more annoyance in his throat. "The Praetor isn't some Monster of the Day."

"Well we haven't been fighting monsters," Jace said, "We've been fighting bounty hunters, evil Rangers, and everything in between. Rylan was almost sacrificed by a clan of demon ninja."

"Jesus," Rocky muttered.

"I'm fine," Rylan replied.

"I know what I'm doing," Tommy said.

"Yeah so do I," Jace replied, "And it's shit. You don't trust is."

"I don't want you to get hurt!" Tommy replied. "I've done so much to keep you and your mother safe. I'm not going to let you throw all of that away!"

Jace froze, his mouth half-open, every word only half-formed.

"You don't think I regret every birthday I've missed? Every celebration I couldn't make? I've hated every second of this for _years_ but I do it for you. I do it so you can have a future so that my wife doesn't have to face a city _destroyed _by some monster!"

"I-I-I…" Jace began but couldn't even begin to finish.

Jace felt a wave of vertigo, and suddenly everything looked a little brighter.

A little more… _green_.

"You act like those weren't _my _birthdays," Jace spat. "Like you were the only one making sacrifices." He blinked twice and in the split second his eyes flashed emerald green. "You hid everything from me. My entire life I've had no idea who you really are. Hell, I didn't even know I had a brother!"

Everyone was too absorbed in the drama to see the figure approaching. It limped towards them, a smile plastered on its half remaining face.

Jace noticed it first, but only had enough time to scream, "Dad!" Before it raised it's pistol and fired.

It was a robotic clone of Tommy Oliver, an entire arm missing and half of its sickeningly human face offering a maddening grin.

The blast hit Tommy's Master Morpher and ejected sparks in every direction.

Zhane whipped around and quickly dispatched the enemy with a quick shot from his blaster and it fell to the ground.

As did Tommy.

Jace dived forward to help his dad, but as the White Ranger demorphed his body began to expel electricity that shocked Jace the moment they touched.

He fell back and onto his butt, as Tommy screamed in complete anguish. The other Rangers demorphed and approached Tommy.

But he just stood up and brushed the dust off his jeans. "Come on," He said, then cast a nervous look at Jace. "You guys too."

"Guess that leaves me to start freeing everyone," Tanya muttered. "Not that you guys were asking me."

* * *

Lucius was carried onto The Dragon's ship and brought to the control room. Colossus stood by the closed door as The Dragon took her seat and punched in the coordinates.

"Thanks to the Morph-X I'll have enough power to break into the Antiverse," The Dragon spoke.

"Why not just use the door?" Lucius asked as if that wasn't the most pressing question.

"Because," The Dragon explained. "He has that spot under 24/7 surveillance, and I've got to keep this a secret."

In a flash she demorphed, her olive skin reflecting the light from her bald head.

"Why can't the Praetor know?" Lucius asked.

"The Praetor thinks he's a visionary," The Dragon explained. "But he's a fool. A wise man gone mad who thinks he knows what's best."

Lucius shook his head. He thought The Dragon was the Praetor's most trusted warrior.

"What were you saying earlier?" Lucius asked. "About my destiny?"

The Dragon smirked and said. "Don't worry we're getting there."

Colossus laughed, "thank the heavens I don't have to keep acting like he made sense. _We must venture to the great beyond,_" he said in a terrible mocking of the Praetor. "Bah! That old fool quit making sense before my planet's star was born!"

Lucius heard all of this and felt his anger blossoming. But he didn't know how to react, he knew a fight would prove pointless. So he stayed quiet.

"What's wrong?" Colossus teased, "Don't like us bad-mouthing the all-powerful _Savior_? Well, let me offer you some advice. Nobody is perfect, and the more perfect somebody pretends to be the less so they are. The Praetor is a mastermind, after all, he engineered this entire operation. But he's blind to the reality of everything around him. He's so zeroed in on his plan that he didn't even see us moving in the shadows."

"What are we doing?" Lucius asked again. "You can't just keep me in the dark."

The Dragon smiled, "My precious Destroyer, we're going to save the multiverse."

* * *

The Praetor's ship broke through the dimensional barrier and appeared in the sky above the planet. It rested silently between them and a strange moon-like object in the heavens.

"He's already positioning himself," Zhane said. "That's not good at all."

"For what?" Rylan asked, "If it won't just scare the hell out of me."

"His ship is going to channel all of the stored morphing energy and shoot it into that object in the sky," Zhane explained. "A massive Zeo Crystal "

"I don't know what that is, but I don't like it," Rylan said.

"Well let's just say this," Rocky said. "A single Zeo Crystal broke into five pieces powered an entire Ranger team and all of their equipment, plus they just get stronger indefinitely."

"So that's how he wants to reboot reality," Jace muttered, "By setting this thing off like a supernova."

"Is that what you think he's doing?" Tommy asked.

"What do you mean?" Jace asked.

Tommy frowned, "He's not trying to recreate the multiverse. He's trying to destroy it."

His dad's words hit like a freight train, bringing a tense silence in their wake.

"Well then come on," Astrid said, breaking the silence, "Let's go."

"How?" Rylan asked. "Our ship is still on Mironoi."

"We'll take mine," Zhane said with a smile. "Just got a new paint job anyway."

"And if you scratch it what's mom gonna think?" Astrid asked.

"I'll repaint it before them," Zhane said. "Just like I did last time."

"You've only had it for a month," Astrid said. "How have you already messed it up?"

Zhane shrugged, "Busy month."

The six of them traveled towards the foliage where Zhane's ship was hidden in the brush. "you should have seen what we had to do to get between dimensions," Zhane told Astrid. "It wasn't easy."

"Nothing you do is easy," Astrid told her father.

"That's because if you live life on easy it'll eventually catch you off guard. If you're playing hard mode you'll always be on your toes."

The six Rangers all stepped up the metal ramp and into the cool, climate-controlled atmosphere of the ship.

From there Zhane moved towards the pilot's chambers, leaving the five alone in the round commons area as the ramp closed and the ship began to lift from the ground.

Jace looked towards his father, who was examining his morpher carefully in his hand. As he rotated it in the air Jace noticed the gnarly crack that extended across the empty green coin slot.

"Do you think there's going to be any problem using it?" Jace asked.

"We're just gonna have to wait and find out," Tommy said darkly. Jace couldn't help but be shaken by the stressed and ragged look his father had. It was rare to see him look so starved for answers.

"_We're nearing our destination_," Zhane said through the ship's coms. "_I'd suggest finding something to hold onto_."

Before anyone could say anything in response to his cryptic message the ship picked up speed and punched right through the side of the Praetor's warship.

* * *

Lucius watched the attack from their location right outside of the Praetor's view. The small cruiser plunged through the hull of the Praetor's ship like a thumb pressed through a styrofoam cup.

"Those brilliant fools," The Dragon mused. "You can always count on the Power Rangers getting involved somehow."

"So where does that leave us?" Colossus asked.

"Exactly where we need to be," The Dragon said. "We still have clearance to dock our ship, and everyone will be too busy to care about what we're doing."

Lucius felt a horrible sinking feeling in his chest as the ship headed towards the Praetor.

And towards an unknown destiny,

* * *

Bandora was terrified. It was at that moment, in the darkroom filled with strange machinery, with the towering body of the Praetor standing behind her, her body was flooded with primal terror.

"It's time…" The Praetor spoke, his otherworldly voice echoing around the room and inside her head. "There is no time to stall, child."

Bandora knew that he was correct. This was the only way to save the universe, to breathe life into a new existence where peace would prevail and despair would become a relic.

But why was she so scared?

She thought of her mother, the Mystic Mother. Did she feel fear like this when she carried out her duties?

Speaking of her mother. Bandora held her fist tightly around the stone that carried her mother's magic.

The stone ignited with life, filling the room white light.

"That's right…" He said. "Unlock your true potential child. It's time to show the multiverse your power."

Bandora raised her staff with her other hand. She could feel the magic leave her body and flow into the air. The feeling was one of the most euphoric of her life, and also the most draining.

"You must push harder…" The Praetor said.

Bandora closed her eyes, and the machines around her began to hum.

"Good...good…" He whispered.

Suddenly the entire ship rocked violently for a moment, and sirens began to blare in every direction.

"What in the name of the Grid!" The Praetor snapped. "Those pestilent fools! They can't interrupt, not when we're so close! Keep pushing," He said to Bandora, then he spoke to a device in his ear. "I need everybody on this ship to report to the crash site. The Power Rangers will come no closer."

* * *

The six rangers flooded out of the ship, with Zhane pausing the examine its damaged front.

"Well, I'm sure Karone will understand," He muttered before turning around towards the other Rangers.

"Where are we?" Rylan asked in the dark and hot air.

"The very bottom of his ship," Zhane explained, "Now come on, we've got a lot of ship to transverse."

"Why not crash at the top?" Astrid asked, "Since we're so crunched on time?"

"This was the weakest point on the ship," Zhane said, "And besides like I said, we don't take the easy way."

"And that will be your downfall," An electronic voice said through the thick atmosphere.

A sharp-toothed machine with caterpillar track stepped in front of the Rangers with a posse of the Praetor's familiar automations.

"And who are you?" Rocky asked, "Alpha's evil cousin?"

"Close," The android said, "I am the original Alpha, Zordon's first companion."

"So why are you standing in our way?" Tommy asked. "I'd assume you'd want to save the universe from the Praetor."

"Well of course," Alpha-1 said. "I was created to help end this war. This never-ending war. Ultimate destruction will finally bring peace."

"Alright so he's Alpha's evil grandpa," Rocky muttered, and took a defensive stance "I got this."

"I'm helping," Rylan said and stepped next to his father.

Rocky looked over at his son for a few seconds before nodding.

"We've all played this game," Rocky said to the others. "Go on and save the world."

The two Rangers armed their morphers and exclaimed. "It's Morphin Time!"

Rocky as MMPR Red armed his Power Sword while Rylan raised his mother's sword.

"You know the drill," Tommy said to the others, then he turned towards Jace and Astrid and rolled his eyes. "Maybe you don't. That's our cue to get out of here."

The two fledgling Rangers nodded and followed behind Zhane and Tommy as they blasted their way past the mob of machines and further into the ship.

* * *

Tanya shivered as she moved through the empty compound. With the bazaar automations of Lord Drayven taken out of commission, the building seemed way to quiet to the Yellow Ranger.

"Figures they'd put me in charge of this while everyone else saved the day," She muttered to herself.

But in reality, she didn't mind, her role was just as important as anyone else's. Plus she had a life, she had a child to worry about. Once a Ranger always a Ranger, but slowing down couldn't hurt.

"Well look who we have here," a familiar voice broke the silence.

Tanya frowned. "Are you serious?"

The voice laughed, "Serious as death."

The figure stepped out of the shadows and Tanya felt her stomach sink.

"What's wrong?" The boy said with a smirk, "You look like you've seen a… ghost."

The boy that stood in front of her looked exactly Trent Mercer, former White Dino Thunder Ranger.

But she knew it wasn't him because Trent died during the Battle of Reefside.

In a flash, he transformed into the armor that mirrored the White Ranger but with Robo-Ranger's distinct black boots and shoulder guards.

Tanya raised her Master Morpher and transformed into Zeo Yellow as the Ranger charged towards her.

"So how come you're not all mangled like the rest of them?" She asked.

"I was a part of a _secret _program," The Robo-Ranger said. "Drayven wanted to be able to create Rangers based on power sets of fallen warriors, an entire army of the undead."

"Why didn't he?" She asked as her sword connected with his own Drago Sword.

"Channeling that much morphing energy without a host proved too time-consuming," He explained. "So there's just me."

"I guess I'm thankful for that," Tanya said and swung her sword into the android's chest.

The android didn't respond to the damage, instead, he grabbed her arm and twisted it hard enough to cause a shock of pain that dropped her weapon to the ground.

Then he pulled his weapon back and slashed it across her body.

And she certainly felt it.

The Robo-Ranger threw her body into a wall, making a loud slap and a thud that echoed around her as her morphed form flicked out of existence.

She swore softly as the room pulsed and her head pounded. It used to take a lot more than that to knock her armor off.

The White Ranger took a step towards Tanya, but before he could gain any more distance a blast shot through the air and sparked against his chest.

"Sorry for the delay," SPD Red said as he stepped into the battle. "We were a little preoccupied."

"Hey now!" MMPR Black said he appeared behind him, "If anyone should get to make a dramatic entrance in front of my wife it should be me." He stepped forward and paused at her fallen form, "Oh shit!" He said and moved to her aid. "You okay?"

"I've been better," Tanya muttered.

The White Robo-Ranger charged towards the Rangers, but Xander moved in and blocked the attack, "What happened to staying vigilant?" He asked as sparks flew from his magi-staff

"Wife's in danger," Adam muttered.

"I was distracted by the Ranger sitcom," J.J replied.

The three still morphed Rangers regrouped as the White Ranger prepared for another attack.

SPD Red fired his blasters, and MMPR Black shot from the Power Axe in its gun mode, and Mystic Green shifted his staff to its crossbow mode and fired alongside them.

Their blasts hit the White Ranger in the chest, knocking him into the wall and knocking his morph away.

He looked at them, a mask on his astonished face as a crack ran his right cheek where the synthetic flesh had been torn.

It was at that moment Tori and Kira arrived behind the other Rangers.

The world around Kira froze, and her morph instantly broke.

"Trent…" Kira managed to choke out of her throat.

And the Robo-Ranger just smiled as he transformed again and charged right toward her.

Nobody had time to react before the blade punched through her skin.


	15. Chapter 15

The four remaining Rangers inside of the Praetor's ship continued deeper inside. The temperature began to lower, but their tension didn't.

Maybe they were all too scared to let their guard down.

"After hearing so much about you from Andros I'm conflicted about how I feel," Zhane said to Tommy.

"Why's that?" Tommy asked, "Don't live up to the 'Legendary Tommy Oliver'?"

"I wouldn't say that exactly," Zhane said with a smirk, "Just that you aren't really as sagely as he built you up. To me, you just seem like a good soldier."

Jace could see his father insulted by the remark but didn't retort because Zhane hadn't meant anything malicious by it.

"Well looky here," A slithering voice taunted from the shadows.

The four all stopped and watched carefully as Scorpio appeared.

"You again?" Jace asked, "Haven't we kicked your ass enough times?"

Scorpio shrugged, he was already in his twisted monster form and his meaty lips sneered. "Seems you're still a bit ate up about what I did to your friend… or maybe your mom."

Tommy's fists tightened, "What did you do to Hayley?"

"She's okay," Jace replied.

But Tommy's expression didn't shift.

Suddenly he shook his head and turned to Zhane. "You got this right?"

"Of course," Zhane replied. "You've gotta stop the Praetor." Zhane then turned to Astrid who nodded.

"Of course I'm in too." She replied.

"Me too," Jace blurted.

But Tommy put his hand on the Red Ranger's shoulder. "I know you wanna get revenge but I'm gonna need your back on this one."

Scorpio just laughed. "Fine, go. I'll catch up after I destroy your friends."

"Good luck with that," Zhane said as his daughter and he both morphed.

But Scorpio seemed unfazed, "You aren't the only one with a fancy suit." He said and raised a familiar device wrist device.

In a flash Scorpio was encased in a black colored crystalline suit of armor, making his already bulky form even more daunting.

The two Rangers took stance as the Pseudo-Ranger charged.

* * *

Kira didn't know how to respond, after all, nothing felt real. Slow-motion took the scene as the sharp pain exploded across her body and the blood poured hot across her midsection. The blade scrapped her side, tearing jaggedly under his ribcage.

It didn't anywhere fatal, but it hurt like hell.

At least it distracted her from his face…

Tori moved in between them, she morphed into her armor and parried his blade with her katana.

"I know that's not Trent…" Kira muttered, "But what the hell is he?"

"One of Drayven's old experiments," Tanya replied.

"I don't like it," Kira said, she then raised her shaky arm and morphed. Her armor wouldn't speed the healing very much, but it dulled the pain and stopped the bleeding.

"No kidding," Adam muttered and transformed into Zeo Green and slammed his ax into the Robo-Ranger's side.

"Kira!" Adam called to the Yellow Ranger. "We can handle this. Go on and get those Rangers out of here."

She hesitated a moment, watching as the Rangers battled the android. She didn't like the idea of leaving them.

But if she was being honest she probably wouldn't be much good against him anyway.

She just nodded and rushed off, never quite having felt that things could be this difficult.

* * *

Rocky swung his Power Sword through two of the automations with a single swing.

"If you think these guys are tough," The Red Ranger told his blue son. "You shoulda cut your teeth on some Putties."

Rylan dodged one of the grunts and stabbed his sword forward. The metal easily cut through its steel chest and it fell limp against the ground.

"I think I got this," Rylan said with a smirk behind his visor.

At that moment three more closed in him. Rylan grabbed for the hilt of his sword which still sat in its chest and tugged as hard as he could. Yet the weapon didn't budge in the slightest.

He jumped back from his weapon to escape the grasp of the automations. He barely missed the swing of the enemy as he moved.

His dad moved in response, cutting the automations into scrap with several powerful swings.

"Easy mistake," The Red Ranger said and tugged the sword out of the fallen machine and tossed it back to Rylan. "I've done the same thing."

Rylan grabbed his sword and nodded.

But before he could express his gratitude Alpha 1 sent a shockwave of energy at the Red Ranger, sending him to the ground with lightning tearing across his suit.

"I refuse to let anything separate me from true fulfillment of my programming," The robot said. "Life will cease and peace will begin."

"Alright, enough of that," Rylan muttered. He looked down at his dad, struggling through the pain that enveloped his body. He took a breath and raised his sword.

And he rushed towards Alpha-1.

His sword began to glow, blue flames escaped the katana once more, and he swung down.

In a clean swing Alpha-1's arm was cleaved from his body where it clanked dually against the metal floor.

The robot squinted it's yellow eyes, and it's other arm surged forward and clamped around Rylan's neck.

* * *

After a few dozen floors and three times as many robotic grunts, Tommy and Jace found their journey's end at a massive room filled with humming machines. The Praetor's massive body towered over Bandora, who held her eyes tightly clamped shut.

The two were tired, having snuck around and fought unmorphed.

The Praetor didn't turn towards them, but his voice drifted into their ears, "I knew it would come to the two of you. The Oliver clan, truly a persistent breed."

Suddenly there was movement from the shadows, and Tommy Oliver ducked just in time for the laser sword to sail over his head.

"Kiaido," Tommy muttered, "I've heard about you."

"Tommy Oliver…" The armored warrior said, "The sentiment is shared."

"This isn't going to be easy," Tommy said, "I'm going to need some White Ranger power." He raised his cracked Master Morpher and called, "It's Morphin' Time!"

In a flash, the Black Dino Thunder Ranger stood in his place.

He looked down at his armor and muttered, "Excuse me?"

But the warrior wasted no time on the confusion, he charged towards the Black Ranger and swung his sword forward.

Jace's dad parried the blade with his staff, and Jace figured that would be a good time to get involved.

In a flash of red, he summoned his armor and charged towards the bounty hunter with his freshly crafted blade.

Tommy shot a bolt of lightning from his weapon that knocked Kiaido back several steps. "Keep him distracted," Tommy told his son.

Jace didn't need to hear any more, instead, he dove forward and parried blades with the bounty hunter.

"It's interesting," Kiaido said as the two danced around each other, "How similar the two of you move."

"Who?" Jace asked.

"Lucius," Kaidio explained. "The same warrior blood travels through your veins."

Jace felt a flare of anger as he swung his sword down, making contact and sending sparks from his opponent's armor. "Don't compare me to him."

"You should be flattered," Kaidio said, "Lucius is one of my greatest achievements."

"Then you must have a pretty dull life."

The red armored bounty hunter kicked Jace's sword out of his hand and swung his laser sword into the Ranger's chest.

Tommy turned away from examining his Master Morpher and rushed to his son's aid.

But the bounty hunter anticipated this and swung into the Black Ranger's midsection. He fell to the ground and demorphed.

Tommy then watched in horror as his Dino Thunder Power Coin instantly turned to dust.

Meanwhile, Jace had just enough time to scoop his sword off the ground and deflect the attack before he could lose his head.

Tommy shook his head and raised his morpher, "It's Morphin' Time!"

He didn't care that the Turbo Red armor was what came next, instead, he used it's enhanced speed to rush forward and tackle the enemy.

Jace watched the two of them crash into one of the strange machines that littered the room.

Kiaido was a blur of motion, with his dad struggling to keep up with every attack.

"I've waited my whole life for an opponent like you," The bounty hunter said. "Another wayward soul, polished by years of battle."

"Nice poetry," Tommy said and got another attack in, this time hitting the warrior's left shoulder. "But maybe you should focus on the battle."

"I am," Kiaido said. "Battle _is_ poetry, and war is art."

The warrior spin kicked Tommy backward, throwing Turbo Red off his feet and knocking him out of his armor.

Jace watched with growing anger, a lightness overcame his body, followed by a floating tingle.

And everything suddenly became greener.

Jace armed his sword and charged forward, stabbing at Kaidio's thick armor and knocking the warrior back.

Something came over Jace, and his body carried itself forward. His swings became more fluid, more perfectly timed. Three more cuts racked across his enemy's armor, and Kiaido in response pushed harder.

Their blades connected once more, this time with enough force to break the tip of Jace's sword off.

Kaidio laughed, "The limitations of a metal blade." And he primed his laser sword.

_Finish him_. A voice spoke to Jace. _You know what to do._

Jace didn't have time to think, instead, he closed his eyes and did what came naturally.

He charged forward and pointed his broken blade towards the warrior's head. His body glowed with green energy as he pushed the jagged metal through Kiaido's visor.

There was a brief moment of resistance, then a horrible wet feeling.

The warrior fell back, just in time for Lucius to appear.

"Master!" Lucius exclaimed and rushed towards the fallen warrior.

In a flash of purple energy, he summoned the Sword of Darkness slashed at Jace, throwing the stunned Ranger back as he embraced the bounty hunter.

Lucius looked down at his fallen master, the sword still stuck out from his cracked visor, and he could almost see the damaged flesh below.

"Lucius…" The warrior spoke, "I'm glad you arrived before I passed on."

The boy didn't speak, he just clutched the dying warrior as hard as he could.

"Don't be afraid of death," Kiaido spoke, "It follows all warriors like a hungry predator. Besides… it's time for you to take the mantle. You were born Troy… but I made you Lucius."

Tears fell onto the warrior's helmet. He raised his gloved hand and touched the boy's face. "You will carry my spirit, and that of my people."

The warrior fell dead in Lucius's arms and the woman stepped behind him. "Mourning can wait. It's time to claim your destiny."

But Lucius stood up and stepped away. "After I take care of a certain Red Ranger." His armor appeared and he charged towards Jace.

* * *

Scorpio swung his bladed arm towards Zhane, but the Silver Ranger ducked under the swing and used his Super Silverizer to blast the armored monster back with a rush of sparks.

Astrid moved in from the side and swung her sword against Scorpio's side.

"You've been a real pest for quite some time," Scorpio said, "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"Good luck with that," The Silver Ranger said with his weapon converted into its blade mode, "I'm not going to let any of my family get harmed on my watch."

"Didn't stop them from getting mom," Astrid said under her breath.

Zhane paused, and didn't notice the stinger stab into his chest.

Astrid moved immediately, she slashed Scorpio in the chest, knocking him back while Zhane fell to the ground.

"You might want to take care of that," Scorpio said smugly, "I made sure to pump him with a decent amount of poison."

"I'll be fine," Zhane said and steadied himself. Before falling back to the ground.

Astrid moved between her father and Scorpio, holding a defensive stance with her sword raised.

"Hey dear…" Zhane muttered, "I'm sorry about your mom. I wasn't there to protect her. I was too absorbed in my mission." He laughed, "I thought if we could stop the Praetor before he even got started it would make a huge difference… guess I got too big-headed."

Astrid nodded, not taking her eyes off the approaching enemy.

"She'll love seeing you in pink," Zhane said. "It looks perfect on you."

"That's a cute sentiment," Scorpio said, "But all she'll find is her daughter painted red, and I'll be just as happy to deliver the same fate to her. It would almost be as erotic as ending the life of Astronoma."

Astrid's grip on her sword tightened… and something shifted inside of her. The same power she'd felt when she battled Lucius bubbled to the surface.

The black-armored warrior continued towards her, but Astrid raised her sword.

"My mom isn't Astronoma!"

A bolt of pink lightning shot from the blade and hit him in the chest, throwing the creature off his feet.

She didn't waste any time questioning this new ability, instead, she took an offensive stance and charged towards him.

Alpha-1 smirked at Rylan deviously, as he struggled to breathe even with the protection of his suit.

His gloved hands reached towards the metal clamp, but he couldn't make a single move towards freeing himself.

Meanwhile, his dad struggled to his feet.

"It's useless," Alpha-1 said. "I've disrupted your morphing flow."

"Guess I need a new one," Rocky muttered and raised his Master Morpher. In a flash, Zeo Blue charged towards Alpha-1.

But the machine turned towards him and shot a concentrated laser blast that knocked him out of his morph.

"I was programmed with extensive knowledge of the Morphing Grid and all of its… flaws. Of course, I'd know the best way to handle Rangers."

Rylan was overwhelmed with panic. He couldn't breathe, his dad was laying on the ground, and the evil robot was winning.

He needed to come up with a plan, and he had to do it fast.

The robot's grip tightened on Rylan's throat, and he was beginning to feel himself fade from reality.

That was when he felt a tiny nudge in the back of his head. It felt like something was calling out to him.

Normally he'd be completely dismissive of such a sensation, but he was running out of ideas.

So he closed his eyes and gave in to the feeling, and the sword at his side began to pulse faintly with blue energy. This was different than the Tora Flames he had tapped into previously, this was the next evolution, nothing but raw energy.

With darkness creeping into every corner of existence around the young man he pulled his sword back and jabbed it forward with all of his strength. It punched through the android's chest as sparks poured out like blood from a torn jugular.

Rylan fell to the ground as Alpha-1 looked at Rylan with as much malice as a robot could muster.

"I wasn't programmed to feel resentment, but I'll make an exception for you," It muttered before growing silent.

"Good job kiddo," Rocky said as he stood himself up, teetering slightly. "Now let's go see who needs our help."


	16. Chapter 16

After several empty rooms and twisting hallways, Kira found the room housing all of the captured Rangers. Dozens of metal tables were laid out, each of them housing a Ranger with a metal helmet fixed on their heads.

She reached for the first person she saw, Conner McKnight… She frowned as she approached him. The two hadn't talked much in the last decade. They'd tried dating after the Drakkon incident but things were too… complicated.

She placed her hands on the helmet to pull it off when suddenly a jolt of electricity coursed through it and knocked her back. She watched from the ground, her entire body buzzing with energy, as everyone around her convulsed painfully.

They were being used by the machine, and that told Kira that things were getting serious. So she better work on pulling the plug.

She looked around, desperate to find anything. Some cables she could shoot, maybe a big control box she could shoot, really anything. Hopefully something shootable. But the machine was so alien that she had no idea where to even begin.

"Kira, evil Ranger incoming!" Xander's voice echoed towards her.

She readied herself, morphing just as Robo-Trent charged into the room. His suit was torn and scuffed, with loose wires falling from his robotic body.

"We almost had him," Xander said soon after, "But he got the slip and just ran."

Kira nodded and armed her Petra-Grips, ready to defend herself against the man.

But he ran right past her.

She watched, almost stunned, trying to figure out what he was doing.

Then she saw him move towards the wall to the south and slice it open with his sword. Behind the wall was the humming machine, strangely shaped gears all churning around a crystal in the center.

Trent's smile was visible through his shattered helmet, as he pulled back his fist and punched into the large clear crystal, shattering it.

The rest of the Rangers flooded in, watching wordlessly as power surged around the Robo Ranger.

"All of this raw morphing energy…" Trent breathed. "And it's finally mine…"

Tanya sighed, "Well... if no one else is gonna try it." She raised her blaster and fired into the evil Ranger surging with power.

But the blast did nothing to hinder his endeavors, and he continued to pulse with raw energy.

Finally, it subsided, and the lights around them flickered into darkness, with the only light available from the dusty windows.

His suit rebuilt itself, glowing with pure morphing energy.

He looked towards the Rangers and laughed, "I'm going to enjoy returning the ass-kicking you guys just gave me."

"Or really?" a new voice asked. And Kira didn't think she'd ever be so happy to hear it. "Because I don't think I've had my shot yet."

Then, without warning, without even questioning who he was up against, Conner McKnight jumped off the table.

Soon after other Rangers followed, it seemed that with all of the power being drained from the machine whatever was keeping the Rangers sedated had worn away.

Leaving the Robo Ranger standing rather awkwardly as the room was rapidly filled with Rangers.

The Praetor looked over at the computer readings. It seemed that the Grid Generator had lost all of its power. While that was mildly annoying it wasn't a problem, they already had enough power.

What was more worrying was the duel taking place.

Jace barely had time to dodge the swing from the Sword of Darkness.

"Woah buddy," Jace muttered.

Lucius was beyond words, his body carried purely by raw emotion alone. Dark energy poured from his form as he continued his assault.

Jace let his instinct carry him as he moved away from Lucius's second swing.

He dodged the next attack easily enough, ducking under the Ranger and uppercutting his helmet with a satisfying clank. Lucius stumbled back several steps, then regained his posture, a more potent dark aura radiating off his form. He pointed his sword forward and charged.

But was intercepted by Zeo Red.

"Dad," Jace pleaded, "You've got to back down. We can't risk you losing any more powers."

Tommy parried the Purple Ranger's sword and turned back to his son. "Do you think I have a choice?"

The Red Ranger delivered a spin kick that whipped Lucius's head to the side and utterly shattered his visor.

In return the Ranger uttered a war cry and swung his blade, smashing it against Tommy's midsection and knocked him away.

Jace felt his instincts take charge and in a fluid movement he scooped the fallen bounty hunters blade off the ground and it ignited with energy.

_Green_ energy.

"You have no right to use that sword!" Lucius screamed as morphing energy poured off of their bodies in strong wisps.

"Can you stop with the 'big final battle' speech and just let me kick your ass?"

Zeo Red rushed to intervene, but a cloaked warrior positioned themselves between the Ranger and his son.

In a flash, she transformed and all of the memories of his time in the Devil's Playground came rushing back.

No time for that though, because her twin blades were pulled back and ready to slice him in two.

* * *

Scorpio was temporarily stunned by the attack, but the shock subsided quickly and he charged again.

"Damn, that was cool" The Silver Astro Ranger replied, as he struggled to stand against the overwhelming pain "Pretty flashy too!"

Astrid smiled under her helmet as she dodged another one of Scorpio's swings. His attacks were swift and precise, and she didn't imagine she'd be able to hold them off much longer.

Thankfully she noticed something new, her lighting attack had left his black armor cracked in its chest piece.

Still, a normal attack wouldn't be enough, not if she wanted to end things as quickly as possible.

Astrid took a deep breath as she pulled her sword back and felt for that new strength.

She could feel it hiding under the surface, igniting her fingertips with its power. Her sword began to glow, right as it struck Scorpio's spot.

Yet it wasn't enough.

Her blade shattered upon impact, and only spiderwebbed the crack instead of destroying his armor.

Scorpio laughed and swung his arm blade into her midsection, causing her to fly back as sparks raced across her body.

"You thought that would be enough?" Scorpio taunted. He pulled his foot back and kicked Astrid in the midsection with enough power to knock the air from her lungs and completely demorph her.

"The day we first met sealed your fate," Scorpio said as his armored boot landed on her stomach with a hard fall. "Now give me your Energem."

"What does the Praetor even want with my Energem?" Astrid asked through the pain.

Scorpio laughed, "Who said it was for the Praetor?"

Before Astrid could question his statement Scorpio pressed his foot harder into her, causing her body to scream in pain. "Severing your bond to the Energem will be a gruesome process, but one I can't help but feel extremely excited for."

A blast of energy hit Scorpio on the side, and he turned towards its source with a scowl on his face. But before he could even retaliate the Silver Ranger had spent the rest of his energy on the attack and his armor dissipated. Without the protection of the suit, his body began to violently react to the poison and he began to convulse on the ground.

The display caused a rush of adrenaline in the Pink Ranger. Her world was suddenly charged with electricity. She could feel it crescendoing into something powerful, it pulsed behind her eyes like a building headache.

She tightly screwed her eyes together and when they snapped open her eyes were a vibrant purple, and a bolt of lightning escaped her fingertips and hit Scorpio in his already compromised crack. In a flash, his armor shattered completely, and his unconscious form fell to the ground.

"We're here to help!" Zeo Blue suddenly exclaimed as he burst into the room. Then he caught sight of the fallen Scorpio. "Oh… nevermind I guess."

"Dad was stung by Scorpio," Astrid breathed as she looked past her hands and towards her father's fallen form. "I don't know how long he has."

"Oh shit," Rocky said and transformed into his red' ninja form before scooping Zhane up. The Ranger then looked at Astrid and said, "I'll get him out of here. I think I can trust you two to help Tommy and Jace out."

They both nodded somberly as Rocky ninja streaked away.

Rylan then turned to Astrid and said, "I know you're worried but we've gotta focus on stopping the Praetor."

"Don't worry," She replied darkly. "I'm not distracted, I'm motivated to kick his ass even harder."

"Alright," Rylan said with a smile under his helmet. "Let's go then."

* * *

Zeo Red danced around the Dragon's flying blades.

"I remember giving you those powers," Tommy muttered as he parried their blades. "Why are you using them for evil?"

The Dragon swung her blade upward, Zeo Red caught the blade but the force of that attack was still strong enough to pull his sword from his grip. The Dragon then delivered a powerful slash to Tommy's midsection. "If I had time to explain I would," she spoke in a voice that sounded so much like the Maria he met in the Devil's Playground it hurt his soul. "But our time is extremely limited."

As it to exemplify her statement the world around them trembled as dangerous electricity filled the air.

Meanwhile, the two Red and Purple Rangers continued their battle. The green blade that Jace had acquired hummed with energy as it connected with the Sword of Darkness.

"It's good to see that our skills were inherited," Jace muttered, "Otherwise this would be too boring."

As he watched Lucius frown things began to make sense.

"So you don't know?" The Red Ranger asked, "We're brothers."

Lucius snapped back to reality and jabbed his sword forward. The blade flanked Jace's side pulling sparks with a rush of energy and pain. Lucius then pulled the blade across Jace's again, spinning the Ranger as he flew to the ground.

"You aren't going to distract me," Lucius muttered as he approached Jace's fallen form.

The Red Ranger reached for the sword but Lucius kicked it aside. Jace tried to stand to his feet, but Lucius kicked him onto his back.

"Blood for blood," Lucius breathed with his jagged sword raised. "That is the code of my people."

The blade flew down towards the Red Ranger's heart.

But Jace caught the sword as it came inches away from ending him.

Lucius growled in frustration, as the armored warrior put all of his might into a downward push. But Jace held the sword at bay, even as cracks formed from his gloves and spiderwebbed down his arms.

"We don't have time for this," Jace muttered as a green aura began to pour from his armor. "Our dad is fighting for his life, and reality is about to be nuked by that madman you've been working for. We shouldn't even be fighting."

Talking was useless though, he could see it plainly on Lucius's face. There was no emotion but rage, it leaked from his body like the purple halo that sounded him.

_You know what you have to do_.

God he was starting to hate that voice, but it was right.

So Jace closed his eyes and gave in to the power that had slowly been building, gnawing at his body.

In an explosion of energy, Lucius was thrown away from Jace, and the Red Ranger rose to his feet. His armor was cracked and torn, motes of green light danced like stars around him. He pulled his fist back as it charged with energy.

And somewhere, in a distant part of his mind, he heard the White Ranger laugh.

His fist connected with the Purple Ranger's chest plate and hit with enough raw energy to launch him backward and demorph mid-air.

Jace scooped the Sword of Darkness off the ground, feeling even more empowered by its dark energy. He felt drunk, even _better than_ drunk. He couldn't even think of a time he felt so powerful. The rush completely numbed him to the pounding in his ears.

_Finish him._

The Dragon spotted the battle and reacted immediately, her swords ignited with fire as she knocked Tommy back and knocked him out of his morph.

Then she charged towards Jace, positioning herself between the two Rangers.

"What the hell is going on?" Jace heard a familiar voice exclaim. "I missed a couple of episodes or something."

The bloodlust was muted for a moment by the arrival of the Blue and Pink Ranger.

"We figured you could use some help," Rylan said as he raised his katana. "Like usual."

"Lucius," The Dragon growled. "It's time. Fulfill your destiny as the Destroyer!"

"Destroyer?" Rylan gulped as echoes of his own adventure danced in the dead air. "Creepy stuff like that is never a coincidence."

"What?" Astrid asked.

Rylan shook his head, "Doesn't matter, evil Ranger to fight."

The warrior before them simply laughed, "Who said we're fighting?" She asked then turned her back, weapons still drawn. "None of us want reality erased, so why don't we work together?"

"As weird as it is to agree with the bad guy," Jace replied, "She has a point."

By then Lucius was already rushing towards Bandora, which the Praetor took note of and scowled.

"What are you doing child?" He demanded, "We have no time for distraction!" His hands ignited with raw morphing energy but before he could launch an attack there was a burst of white light and the White Mighty Morphin Ranger stood between them with Saba raised.

The Praetor grinned, "A master of the White Light? I haven't seen one of those in over a millennium. Shame I have to destroy you."

He then launched a blast of energy that Tommy struggled to deflect with his sword.

"Alright guys," Jacsrdraid, "To quote Tanya, let's save my dad's ass, and all of reality while we're at it."

* * *

The Trent robot didn't stand a chance. With so many Rangers awakened, even with his enhanced power, they all made short work of him.

Leanbow swung his sword at the sparking Ranger, completely decapitating him with a spray of wires and torn electronics.

It rolled helplessly across the ground, and right to the feet of a particular Pink Ranger.

The Kimberly Hart of the Devil's Playground smiled to herself and crushed the android's head with her foot.

"Kim!" Kira exclaimed as she rushed towards her friend and temporary mentor while trapped in the mirror world.

Kim offered a smile back, "Hey, Kira," She said and hugged the Yellow Ranger. "I should've figured you'd be the one to save us."

"Don't pin it all on me," Kira replied, "I was just another part of it all."

Adam then approached the duo, "Hey, long time no see."

"Oh hey," Kimberly replied lukewarmly.

"How's Skull?" Adam asked.

"Busy," Kimberly replied, "Rebuilding a civilization isn't as easy as the movies make it seem."

When the excitement of seeing an old face subsided Kira was left with a gnawing question, one Kimberly might be able to answer.

"So what happened to Maria?" She asked.

Kimberly frowned, "What do you mean? She went missing about a year ago."

"Well she joined the Praetor," Kira replied, "Calls herself the Dragon or something."

Kimberly shook her head, "She wasn't ever really the same after she almost died. It twisted her somehow. But she isn't the only one I'm worried about."

Before the Pink Ranger from another world could continue everyone's communicator's beeped simultaneously.

"_This is Rocky Desantos," _The voice said in a frantic voice, "_I have Zhane with me, and he's in critical condition. I'm teleporting myself to the door back to Mirinoi, anyone who knows the planet well enough to get us to a proper hospital needs to be there for us. He doesn't have long_."

Kira felt her insides turn, she didn't know Zhane but any Ranger in that kind of danger brought dark thoughts forward.

Because in the end, it could be any of them instead.

"I'll go," Kat replied and rushed out of the room.

Suddenly the fresh silence was halted by a giant tremor tearing through the building.

"I think we all should go as well," J.J said, "This whole building might come down before Tommy can stop the Praetor."

Kimberly laughed as everyone began to file out of the building. "It always seems to come down to him."

"Not just him this time," Kira replied, "This time he's got his son at his side."

"Well if he has a quarter of Dr.O's skills we'll be fine."

"Jace does," Kira said, "And twice the guts."

"Oh boy, the Praetor should definitely watch out."

* * *

Jace charged forward, the Sword of Darkness glowing in his hand.

"Be careful with that thing!" Tommy exclaimed, "That sword is bad news."

"Relax," Jace replied, "I got this." His grip tightened on the hilt, and deep down he kind of loved how it made him feel.

The sword flew towards the Praetor's face, but a wall of energy took the attack instead.

The Praetor grinned and launched the Ranger back with a rush of raw power.

"The Praetor isn't just some monster," The Dragon said, "He's a fallen Morphing Master, one of the most powerful beings in the universe."

"In any universe," The Praetor stated confidently. "But that matters not. Power is just the tool that brings true peace."

"Yeah, yeah," Jace muttered, "Evil speech and all that." He then turned to the Dragon. "So how are we gonna beat this freak before he can keep monologuing?'

While the five Rangers battled the Praetor Lucius rushed towards Bandora. The young witch was locked in an intense concentration. It seemed that she was completely oblivious to the entire world around her. Above her, the massive Zeo Crystal was glowing and humming with energy. It seemed that at any second the generators below them would launch a charge of morphing energy into the massive object and it would finally supernova the universe into oblivion.

So he needed to be quick.

Lucius then grabbed Bandora and pulled her out of her trance. Her eyes were wide and terrified as she gazed at Lucius. He then pulled the stone out of her hand and shattered it with his boot.

"What the hell are you doing?" Bandora asked, "We were so close to saving the universe."

"You were about to let that madman destroy everything," Lucius exclaimed, "He tricked us!"

She just stared at him, stunned and processing his words. There wasn't time to convince her, so Lucius just reached for her dropped staff.

It was time to unlock his destiny.

Meanwhile, the Rangers were scrambling for a way to defeat the Praetor.

"If we can overwhelm his energy shield we'll be able to get an attack in," The Dragon said, "But it'll have to be one worth it."

"Alright," Rylan said, "Sounds good and all, but how are we going to do that?"

Astrid sighed, "Any way we can." The Pink Ranger then paused and grew silent, then her hand began to pulse with pink energy that shot towards the enemy.

The attack was just shrugged off by the Praetor's shield.

"Keep that up," The Dragon replied, then looked at Rylan, "What do you have?"

"Well…" Rylan muttered, then he managed to get a timid taste of his Tora flame that he shot at the enemy. "I have this."

"It'll have to do," Tommy replied and raised Saba and flanked the Praetor from behind with its laser attack.

Their attacks all combined as they were devoured by the Praetor's defenses.

At first, it didn't seem to be doing anything, but slowly the dome of energy began to lose it's transparency, growing more and more white and featureless.

"Keep it up," The Dragon growled. "We're getting closer."

Jace watched silently, he felt kind of useless at the moment because he was apparently the only one out of the team that didn't have some kind of energy projection powers.

But then he saw the hairline crack in the dome, and he knew what he _could _do.

"Jace!" The White Ranger exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing?"

There wasn't time to reply, instead, Jace continued his charge, then slammed the Sword of Darkness into the Praetor's shield. Green energy poured from his suit and the sword and every part of his body.

And the Praetor's defense shattered.

Jace was knocked on his back and the Sword of Darkness fell from his grip.

At that moment the Dragon sprang, her swords flaming as she slashed into the Morphing Master's body.

"Why have you betrayed utopia?" The ancient being whispered as he fell to one knee.

"There's no utopia in death," The Dragon muttered, "And your delusions almost cost the entire multiverse."

"Don't discredit me yet," The Praetor said and rose back to his feet. He then shot a supercharged orb of energy at the Dragon and knocked her away with a spray of sparks and unfiltered energy. "My fellow Morphing Masters betrayed me. Banished me to this realm of death and decay. They thought it would destroy me. But it _inspired _me. I now know that total oblivion is our only salvation. Nobody will stop me from bringing true peace."

The Praetor then turned his attention to the three Rangers. He grinned as his injured body crackled with energy. "I'm going to take you out one by one and complete my life's ambition."

"Jace!" Tommy Oliver exclaimed. "Don't think. Just trust me!"

Before the Red Ranger could respond Saba was suddenly flying towards him.

He caught the blade just as the White Ranger wrapped his arms around the massive Praetor.

His dad was right, he couldn't think. His heart pounded in his ears. His body grew numb and cold. And every single person in every single universe needed him to act.

So he did.

He rushed forward, his body a glowing, green, red, and even white. Saba transformed in his hand, replacing white with red as it was propelled towards its target.

It hit perfectly, stabbing into the Praetor's ancient, powerful, body. The white-haired morphing master looked down at the Red Ranger and coughed blood. Spitting it across Jace's visor as he laughed.

Lucius frowned, the staff doing absolutely nothing in his hand.

The Praetor continued laughing, "And it was all for naught," He exclaimed.

The ground shook again, and a large blast of blinding light swallowed the world before being absorbed into the crystal.

"You were too late. Oblivion will still be mine!" He then tore the blade from his chest, throwing it the ground before falling to his knees. "Even if I won't see it."

The world paused around Jace, and his chest froze.

It wasn't the Praetor falling to the ground that tore Jace's heart from his chest, it was his father suddenly demorphing and tumbling backward.

Jace rushed past the wheezing Morphing Master, ignoring the death rattle as he went to his father's aid. Saba had completely pushed past the Praetor and into Tommy Oliver.

"I was worried that might happen," Jace's father said as blood poured from his stomach.  
"But there wasn't time to overthink."

Jace stared helplessly at his father's rapidly paling face, completely oblivious to the crystal above their heads, which was glowing so intensely that all of the colors around them became washed out and meaningless.

Jace demorphed and touched his bare hand to his father's face. He didn't know what to do. At that moment he felt nothing. Like a nuclear bomb exploded in his brain, leaving a ruined wasteland in his heart.

Above them, all the crystal was so ripe with energy it was about to explode. The universe vibrated, the entire morphing grid vibrated. Every being with a strong connection to the grid could feel the world-ending catastrophe about to unfold and take all life with it.

But Jace didn't care, nothing else mattered to him but his father, who laid before him with his life rapidly slipping away.

And moments before everything would turn to ash Jace cried out with all of his strength, all of his being.

And the universe flooded with light.

But the crystal didn't explode.

Instead, it simply shattered, raining billions of shimmering particles to the world below and the universe beyond.

"What just happened?" Rylan asked.

"Somebody help me get my dad," Jace exclaimed, ignoring Rylan's question

"I don't think we can move him," Rylan said, looking at how large the pool of blood around Tommy's stomach had gotten.

"I can teleport us back to your ship," Bandora replied, suddenly coming back to her senses."But you've gotta take me with."

"Whatever," Jace said, "Just do it."

Bandora nodded and in a flash of light, they were back in the ship.

Astrid ran to the controls, she didn't exactly understand them, but she knew enough to pull them back to the world below. Meanwhile, Jace, knelt next to his father's body, watching as he struggled to breathe.

"I don't know enough about healing magic to heal your dad," Bandora told Jace, "But I can keep him stable enough to get him back to Mironoi."

Jace nodded, he normally wouldn't trust someone who was one of the Praetor's Crimson Raiders but he didn't have another option.

The ship landed outside the door and they all carried Tommy, with Bandora nearby casting a magic spell that stopped the bleeding.

"I'm sorry for being such a dick all the time," Jace whispered to his dad, who was probably too gone at the moment to even register his words.

"You're a teenager with attitude," His dad muttered in an almost dreamlike voice, "It comes with the territory."

The five of them made it out of the door, where they found Kira and J.J waiting for them.

"Holy shit!" Kira exclaimed. "What happened."

"We killed the Praetor," Jace breathed, "And maybe saved the multiverse, but my dad sacrificed himself…"

It was then that everything hit Jace, the shock, exhaustion, and the intense draining feeling in his spirit.

And everything became a blur.

* * *

The Dragon held a smile on her face as she demorphed. The battle had been tough, and although she lost in most regards she won in plenty of others.

Colossus approached and bowed to his master. "What would you like me to do?"

"Bring _that_ to the meat freezer," she said and scowled at the Praetor's corpse. "Ir might still be useful."

"Yes master," Colossus said and reluctantly lifted the massive body over his shoulder.

She then grabbed the Praetor's communicator and spoke swiftly, "Whoever is piloting this ship, if you don't want to die you'll take us out of this dead world immediately."

The ground lurched and vibrated as they were transported back to the other dimension.

It was then that Scorpio and Lucius both approached the warrior.

"Everything worked according to plan," Scorpio said, "It's been an honor to be at your side. I hope I've grown from the child you knew in our world to a warrior who can fight by your side."

"You're a pathetic _bug _who's only concerned in allying themselves with the winning side," The Dragon replied simply. "Which is why you'll be allowed to transition with me back to our true allies. This ship will be a gift to them, a show of good faith."

She then looked at Lucius and frowned, "Unfortunately you aren't all I was hoping for, and now you're a liability to me."

He stared at her with a stunned and betrayed expression.

"Scorpio, throw him into one of the escape pods and launch him as far away as possible."

"My pleasure," He said and dragged the wounded warrior away.

She turned her back as Lucius was drug away, she had more important things to be investing her time into.


	17. Chapter 17

"Well if there's one thing that could be said about the Oliver's it's that they're resilient," Kira Ford said from the hospital waiting room.

Rocky laughed in response. He was one of the few Rangers who chose to remain on Mironoi, even as the only ship guaranteed to bring him home took off with the others. "Yeah, no kidding."

It had been about two Earth days since the Praetor had been defeated and his plans to erase all of existence had been halted.

Somehow… the details on the last part were still a bit foggy.

"_My best guess," _Leanbow has said, offering everyone his mystic knowledge, "_Something overloaded the Zeo Crystal past what it could physically handle and instead of exploding it imploded._" That wasn't really an answer that satisfied anyone, but none of its witnesses were particularly versed in grid physics.

Well, Tommy was… but he was a little preoccupied with not dying.

So speculation was the only thing they had at the second, and there were about a million more important things to worry about.

Tommy had just stabilized, and that was a big relief to Kira. The doctors had said that if Tommy didn't have the advanced healing from his morpher he'd be dead already, so for once, his Ranger powers were looking out for him.

The same could be said for Zhane, who was thankful enough to be on a planet with enough herbal knowledge to counteract the life-threatening poison. His body was just recovering from the damage at that point.

"Have you checked on the kids?" Rocky asked.

Kira smiled, "You say that like I'm their babysitter."

"I kinda thought you were their… y'know… Zordon or whatever."

She laughed nervously, "I _tried _to be," She admitted, "But I don't think it's something I'm good at. After all, when they needed help the most I wasn't there for them."

"You clearly weren't listening when Tommy told you about Zordon," Rocky said with a strange combination of goofy and sincereness on his face. "The greatness mentor in Ranger history was stuck in a tube the whole time." He leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital chair, "Let me tell you the truth Kira, your kids will always be alone when it matters, that's what you're preparing them for. You're their mentor, not their babysitter."

Kira sat in silent contemplation over Rocky's words for several moments.

Rocky then stood up, "I'm gonna go check up on Tommy, maybe you could go see what your kids are up to."

Kira nodded and felt weirdly offended he referred to the Rangers who just saved the multiverse as kids.

She only found Rylan at the hotel, the teen was sitting in his room staring at the rather bulky LED monitor. "Can you believe they still play reruns of Home Improvement?" He asked with a sideways smile as Kira stepped inside. "Tim Allen's never even stepped foot on Mironoi."

"Hey what's funny is funny," Kira replied. "Doesn't matter what planet."

"I wouldn't say it's _that _funny," Rylan muttered. "Or maybe I've just been watching too much of it." He sighed. "I haven't had any luck sleeping since we won. It doesn't feel like it's over." The Blue Ranger shivered. "Sometimes I close my eyes and I'm back there, I see the madness in the Praetor's eyes."

Kira nodded somberly, she knew exactly what he was talking about. "I had that for a while, but Ethan was worse. He was on high dose sleeping pills, that got even higher after Drakkon. You just gotta try to relax. We won after all."

"The Praetor is gone but most of his lackeys aren't," Rylan breathed. "And I've seen enough movies for that to scream a sequel."

Kira nodded somberly, "I get that. But it's a little more complicated than that." Kira watched the boy perk up slightly but she didn't wait for him to ask before continuing, "For all, you know those lackeys might be a problem for the _next_ team of Rangers. Life is unpredictable. That's why you've gotta take each victory as it comes. The Praetor's gone and the multiverse is safe, so let's just focus on that right now."

Rylan nodded and even cracked a tiny smile afterward.

"Anyway, I've gotta go check up on everyone else," Kira said, "Just try to relax."

Kira then moved silently towards the Megaship, where she found Astrid sitting alone. Listening to music of all things.

"If you're looking for Jace he just left," Astrid said with an indifferent look on her face. Her eyes followed Kira curiously, sharply.

"No, actually," Kira said, "I came to check on you."

"Why?"

The mix of malice and confusion hit Kira like a slap to the face.

Silence fluttered around them as Kira thought of what she could say in response. Then the music filled the space between them, and Kira realized it was one of Jace's favorite songs.

"What happened?" Kira asked finally.

"Nothing happened," Astrid snapped.

"Mhmm," Kira replied, "What did Jace do?"

There was a second of sharp anxiety as Astrid just looked at her. Kira had taken a shot in the dark, followed her instincts and grabbed the first thread that felt right.

Astrid's eyes were wide and filled with emotion. "Why is he so stupid?"

Kira couldn't help but chuckle to herself. "Because he's a boy."

"So?"

"Well…" Kira said, thinking back to Conner with a tiny shiver, "Well because he's not exactly all the way there yet. It takes them a while. Probably more time then they're even worth."

"I thought he wanted to see me," Astrid finally breathed in a tiny voice, "Almost as soon as I called him over he just ran away. We hardly even talked. What does that even mean?" Her eyes pleaded to Kira.

"I can't say exactly," Kira admitted, "Jace is… complicated. Plus he's probably still processing everything that happened."

Astrid's head fell to the metal floor, "Now you sound like him."

"What do you mean?"

"This Praetor thing," Astrid said, "This _Ranger _thing. It's been happening our whole lives. My dad's almost killed himself so many times it's a running joke between him and Andros. It's our lives. The way I feel now is… different. It's new and it's scary. I just want to spend time with him. Maybe figure out if he does too."

"Jace probably doesn't know how he feels," Kira admitted, "He never really does."

Astrid instantly looked deflated, and Kira felt panic swell through her body.

_Dr.O always made this look so easy_.

She put her hand on Astrid's shoulder, "He'll figure it out eventually. He just needs time. And probably some space too."

"Space…" Astrid muttered almost whimsically.

"Speaking of Jace though," Kira said, "I better go see how he's doing."

"Tell me if he says anything about me," Astrid replied after a moment.

Kira just smiled, "For sure."

She then stepped back out of the ship and looked around. She frowned at the alien world. Where the hell would Jace even be?

After some aimless walking through the city, she was struck with a strange idea. She turned on her heels and b-lined out of the city.

She knew it was a long shot, but a guess was still a guess. So she tried not to overthink things as she approached the cave that contained the magic door.

"What are you doing here?"

Kira frowned, she wasn't expecting to see Trox. The Energem Guardian sat against the ancient wood, his eyes pulled close.

"I could ask you the same thing," Kira replied.

"I feel something," He muttered. His voice sounded hollow and she doubted him. "But it could be anything. It could even be the swords in the center of town."

"Oh the Quasar Sabers," Kira said, honestly forgetting the planet even had Ranger artifacts.

Then again it seemed that every corner of the universe had been touched by the Grid.

"If you're looking for Jace I spotted him going into one of the buildings on the south-side of Eternity City. I think it was a tavern."

Kira frowned. "Of course," She muttered and turned around. Then paused for a second. "Hey Trox, I heard about your brother. I'm really sorry."

"Don't be," He replied coldly. "He died doing as we'd been instructed to do. Be sorry for everyone who was wrongly slaughtered."

"I feel sorry for everyone who's died prematurely," She replied, "It comes with being a hero."

She then headed back to the city, where she found the massive club that she assumed Jace would be at.

The lights projected from colored spotlights danced around the club as Miroinites and Earthborns danced to the beat of strange music that appeared to be a combination of jazz and ancient hymns.

But she didn't find Jace on the dance floor, which was wet with spilled beer and sweat. Instead, she found him at one of the corner tables. He downed another shot and narrowed his eyes at Kira.

"If you aren't here to pay my tab then get away from my table," He barked.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked. "If your dad found out-"

"Don't worry about that!" He snapped, "_My _dad is _my _problem." By then his words were already horribly slurred. The sight of a seventeen-year-old being so drunk gave her disgusting flashbacks to Conner after The Battle of Reefside.

"I know that dealing with everything isn't easy, but drinking won't make you feel any better."

"I don't wanna feel better," He said, "I want to forget."

"Forget what?"

"How my sword felt going right through that bounty hunter's skull…" He breathed. "Watching my dad bleed out in front of me. How small and useless I felt. Having all of that power and still feeling powerless…"

"Jace I know what you're going through."

"No, you don't!" He exclaimed, "You fought genetic monsters made by a dude with a dinosaur fetish. I was fighting my long lost brother and a dude who wanted to destroy reality!"

Kira was suddenly flooded with anger. It brought forth all of the feelings that she'd spent years trying to swallow, all of the memories she'd buried.

She leaned forward, ignoring Jace's drunken breath. "I watched my White Ranger die. He sacrificed himself to save me. I understand that you're dealing with a lot, and I KNOW how hard it is. But if you just ignore your problems they won't get any better."

"Whatever dude," Jace barked and stood up.

"Where are you going?" She demanded.

"Don't worry about it," He muttered. Then paused for a second, his back still turned to the Yellow Ranger. "I'm gonna go see my dad."

* * *

Kat didn't know why she felt so nervous standing in front of the closed door. Or at least she was trying to pretend she didn't.

Her hand moved towards the handle, but it turned on its own.

And her breath ended in her throat as she met the face in front of her.

"Oh shit!" Rocky exclaimed as he threw it open. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

Kat opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say to him.

"We can talk later," Rocky said, then pulled Kat into his arms, "I missed you."

With that, the Blue Ranger left, and Kat knew there was only one thing left for her to do.

She stepped into the room, where he sat silently.

Tommy Oliver…

For a moment they just looked at each other, neither of them knew what to say in that still and terrifying moment.

Kat took a breath and prepared to say the two words she'd been dreading for so long, but Tommy spoke them first.

"I'm sorry."

Kat blinked at her former high school boyfriend. "For what?"

"For taking advantage of your feelings," He spoke, "I know it was forever ago, but I still feel bad about it. I used to you to get over Kim, just like I used to Kim to cope with what Rita did to me. Up until Hayley, my life was just one big cycle. I used everybody…"

Kat didn't feel herself move towards Tommy, but she watched as his bed grew closer.

"It's more complicated than that, and you know it," She sighed, "It's all been one big mess from the start, and look at where we are. Our sons tried to kill each other and Troy is still lost."

"We'll get him back," Tommy breathed.

"I shouldn't have hidden him from you. I was just scared."

"Of him becoming a Ranger?" Tommy asked bitterly, "Because I know what that feels like."

"I guess some things are unavoidable," Kat said, "Or maybe it's just our fear that drives them towards it."

She sat down next to Tommy, at the edge of his bed, and her hand rested instinctively on his calf.

That was when he spotted the ring.

"His name's Mike," She said awkwardly.

"Corbett?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Because he was the Magna Defender,"

She laughed, "Nothing Ranger related ever gets past you. Mike's great, he's been like a father to Troy, he loves him just as much as he loves our son Bruce." Her fingers tightened around Tommy's leg. "Bruce and Troy were been fighting the night he disappeared. I can't even remember what it was over, probably a game or something. Troy got so angry he ran outside towards the woods behind our house. I figured it would be okay, he'd been back there a million times…"

"He'll be okay," Tommy reassured her, "I've seen what he's capable of."

"I don't want him to fight anymore," Kat breathed, "I want him to come home."

"He will," Tommy replied, "Everyone wants to come home eventually. I saw him, I saw the look in his eyes. He's still your son, he's still Troy."

"Thank you," She said, holding back the tears that threatened to swallow her vision.

"There's something else," Tommy said, "While you're here. It's in my bag." She then followed his gaze towards a worn looking canvas bag. She walked anxiously watched towards it, looking towards him for approval before sticking her hand inside.

Her hand almost found it immediately.

Her fingers numbly curled around it, with a surreal feeling washing over her.

Her hands pulled it out and once the fluorescent lights reflected against it everything felt far too real.

"It's a Master Morpher," Tommy explained, "It'll let you access all three of your powers."

"I don't know what to say," She said, looking down at it.

"I had it built a while ago, and I was just waiting to give it to you."

"Thank you," She said softly, "Again."

"I still love you," Tommy said, "And I'm going to do everything I can to bring your son home."

"Our son," Kat said, finally allowing the tears to burn her eyes, "Whether you were in his life or not your blood is inside of him. And that's what comforts me when nothing else does."

Kat then turned back towards Tommy and leaned over his bed, embracing him in an awkward but warm hug.

"Give Hayley my regards when you see her next. She looked good in red by the way," Kat said, "I think she might have looked better as Zeo Red then you did."

"That must of been something," He said and winked, "Because I remember how you used to look at me."

"Shut up," She said, resting her head on his chest for a brief moment. Nostalgia flooded her brain and she couldn't help but smile despite her tears. "I love you too. We need to have a big reunion sometime, all of Zordon's Rangers."

"Agreed," Tommy said, "As long as it isn't to save the world again."

"No kidding," She said with a laugh and turned around.

She felt empty and confused as she stared at the morpher and went outside.

"Hey wait!" A voice exclaimed.

No… it couldn't…

She turned and almost screamed as he approached. His face… his eyes…

But it wasn't him. It wasn't her son.

"Sorry…" the almost middle-aged man with a scar on his face said as he got closer. "You don't know who I am."

"You're right," she muttered although the similarities were almost uncanny.

"I'm J.J… Oliver," he said awkwardly. "I'm not from around here. Not like other towns or other planet but like another reality. An alternate timeline."

She stared at him and knew exactly what he was going to say by his eyes alone.

"One where you and Tommy are my parents."

Kat didn't think twice before pulling him in for a hug.

"I'm not trying to be weird," he muttered as he hugged her back. "I just wanted to see you."

"No I appreciate it actually," she said and stepped back. "You remind of a lot of Troy."

J.J laughed and pointed to the scar that went from his left eye down his nose and to his right cheek. "If I could survive everything that's happened to me I'm sure he'll find a way."

"Thank you," She said and nodded.

"I know you don't know me," J.J said, "But I love you."

"I can only speak for myself," Kat replied, "But I have a strong feeling my counterpart shares those feelings."

With that she left and headed home, feeling better in a lot of ways. Because no matter where Troy was he'd find someone to take care of him.

* * *

Jace fought the feeling to throw up as he made his way into the hospital. He could feel everyone's eyes locked onto him. He ignored them all. At the moment nothing else mattered.

He approached the door and stepped inside, not even bothering you knock.

"Hey," his dad said from the hospital bed. "The doctors here say I'll be stable enough for us to go to Earth in the morning. You should be able to get home with enough time to take your finals before summer."

"Is that really the most important thing?"

Tommy Oliver shook his head, "Of course not." He then sighed, "Jace I know you're drunk. I can smell you from the other side of this room."

A primal fear broke through the numbing haze and he was working on what to say when Tommy spoke.

"I'm not mad. Just come here."

Jace followed without thought, next to his father's bed.

And Tommy pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry." He said, "I'm sorry for hiding my life from you, I'm sorry for not telling you about Troy. I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

Suddenly Jace realized he was crying. He pulled his dad closer and sobbed into his shoulder.

"I've been where you are," Tommy said, "I remember getting shit-faced after I was first freed from Rita's spell. I didn't know what else to do."

After a few seconds of Jace sobbing, Tommy leaned back to look his son in the eyes. "It's over. The Praetor is gone and everything is going to be alright. I'm not going to abandon you like that again."

Jace spoke the words he'd felt but hadn't fully realized until that moment. "I missed you…"

"I should have told you sooner."

"It's okay," Jace said, even though he really didn't think it was. He just didn't like seeing his dad on the verge of tears. "Everything is out there now. No more secrets."

If Jace had been more observant at that moment he would have caught the hesitation his dad held before replying, "Yeah. I just can't wait till we're home. I'm sure your mom is a mess waiting for us."

* * *

The next morning everyone gathered into the Megaship. Spirits were relatively high. J.J even brought everyone smoothies.

"Can you believe they have an Erine's out here?" He asked, "One of his sons was on Terra Venture."

He handed them out to the small crew of Rangers. "Don't worry Trox I made sure yours doesn't have meat."

The blue-haired boy didn't laugh.

J.J then turned towards Jace, who was sitting with Astrid at his side, the two were both listening to music on Jace's phone.

"Here you go," He said and handed them each a smoothie. "Wasn't sure what everyone wanted but y'know. Not like you know the local fruits on the planet anyway."

Jace took his and began to suck on it mindlessly. He closed his eyes and leaned against the Pink Ranger. For once he felt like things were going to be okay.

He smiled, he was actually getting excited. Things were over and he could kick back and enjoy his summer vacation.

He thought about bringing Astrid to the fair, it was one of his favorite summer events and the idea of showing her the joys of Earth filled him with intense excitement.

The journey was smooth, with the wormhole making the trip a whole lot faster, mixed with the already impressive speed of the Megaship it only took a few hours.

The ship landed in Angel Grove, the same empty lot that Astrid had used when everything began and everybody began to slowly rise.

"Alright everyone one at a time," Zhane said with a grin.

Rocky and Kira moved first, with Rylan and Trox following behind them. Then J.J who was helping Tommy.

Jace paused his music and stood up. Astrid handed him her earbud but didn't move.

"I hate having to stretch my legs my legs after a long ride," He muttered. "Maybe we can walk over to McDonald's and get some McChickens."

Astrid then stood up slowly but when Jace turned to walk away she grabbed his hand.

He looked back at her and felt his stomach flip at the look on her face.

"What's wrong dude?" He asked her.

"My dad is heading towards Triforia to help enact a peace treaty," She said, "Something about building a galactic alliance."

"Oh shit," He said, "Do you want me to leave so you can say goodbye or something?"

Her eyes went to the floor. "I'm going with him."

"Oh," Jace said as his eyes met his feet. "Okay."

"I'm gonna come back right after. But it might be a while."

"How long?"

She just shrugged and turned around. "I'll get in touch."

"Okay…" Jace said awkwardly before staring at the back of her head as she walked away.

With nothing else to stay Jace slowly walked out of the Megaship and into the warm air.

"Hey," Rylan said as Jace descended the ramp. "You good?"

"I'm not sure," Jace admitted.

Kira then appeared behind Rylan, "It seems that Jace is leaning one of the hardest lessons of being a Ranger. Fighting monsters is the easy part."

* * *

Lucius sat alone in the cramped escape pod. The Dragon was long gone, as was anyone else who could save him.

There was no food with him, and he hadn't eaten or drank in days. He could feel himself getting weaker by the hour.

He meditated to pass the time. But he still carried the images of his master being wrongfully murdered. And he swore that eventually, he'd make Jace Oliver pay.

Even if they were brothers.

He closed his eyes and tried to fight the pain, and the blood boiling anger that made his body tremble.

His fingers scratched the metal floor and he screamed.

Suddenly the pod shook and vibrated, which was unexpected because he had run out of fuel a few hours ago.

With a rush of anxiety, he realized he was being forcibly taken by an actual ship.

Lucius tried to breathe normally, and not panic as he gripped his sword tightly in his hands and prepared.

For the impending attack.

Strangely no attack came, even after the pod was fully docked inside of the vessel.

There was silence, only the heavy beating of his heart and his labored breath.

With a heavy snap, the ship took control of the pod and forced the doors open.

Lucius knew what he had to do. The time for waiting was over and he had to storm the enemy before they could overwhelm him.

He took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. Kaidio often told him that a warrior's first mistake was losing control of themselves in the heat of the battle.

He then morphed into his purple armor and lunged forward through the door.

His eyes scanned the three people in front of him and went for the one he perceived as the weakest.

He was an older man dressed in a polo shirt and khaki pants.

In hindsight that should have been his first clue that something strange was afoot.

His sword flew down in a diagonal motion, but the man easily evaded the attack.

Then the woman at his side moved in, as Lucius swung his sword upward she placed herself between them, using her staff to completely halt the attack.

The woman with the staff was dressed in particularly nothing at all, ragged cloth armor that covered her chest and groin.

"That's a pretty shitty way to greet the people who saved your ass," The other person said, a teenage girl with a scowl on her face.

Lucius looked at all of them as the confusion started to set in.

The woman with the staff used the distraction to knock Lucius's sword from his hand before bashing it into his chest with a charge of morphing energy that instantly demorphed him.

"That's a pretty nasty weapon," The man said as he raised the Sword of Darkness, examining it carefully. "And a near-perfect recreation."

Lucius took a step closer to the man, but the woman raised her staff again.

"Mom doesn't play around," The girl said, "I've seen her knock down men three times your size. Not that that's even an impressive size."

"Who are you?" The man asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," Lucius growled.

"We're getting there," The man replied, "You first."

Lucius sighed, realizing he didn't have much of a choice. "Lucius of the Bellator."

"A Bellator?" The woman asked skeptically, "Are they even still in existence."

"I'm the last one," He breathed.

"A Bellator wielding the Sword of Darkness, AND an Energem," The man said as he eyed the wrist morpher the Praetor had constructed to channel the gem's power. "You certainly have an interesting story to tell. I'll have Baboo start on a meal we can eat while we discuss what brought you here."

Lucius watched almost dumbfounded as the man turned and walked away. Then he paused, "Oh that's right, you want introductions." He then turned to the woman with the staff who was still watching Lucius very carefully. "This is my wife Dulcea, and our daughter Luna."

The man then continued walking.

"I've been through many names and titles in my long existence, but you can call me Zedd."

**A/N: There we go, folks, that's the end of this particular sector of the Jurassic Knights' adventure. Thank you to everyone who's made it here and I hope you come back when we dive into the next story. **

**Power Rangers Jurrasic Knights: The Son of Drakkon. **


End file.
